This is Magic
by Yoshirueme
Summary: Harry Potter AU! Eren Jaeger lives in a world of magic. Born as a half-blood, he has reached eleven years old and is ready to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Follow his exciting journey as he makes friends, enemies, and finds love in the ancient hallways of the school of magic.
1. Chapter 1: King's Cross Station

**Hi! Welcome to this Ereri HP AU! I love AoT and Harry Potter, so I'll be super motivated to write this AU. If you notice any grammatical or spelling errors, please don't hesitate to let me know. I hope you enjoy this story!**

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><p>"All aboard! Train B leaves in 3 minutes!" A loud voice echoed through the huge brick train station. A young boy with chocolate brown hair and turquoise eyes flew through the crowds, pushing a large trolley with excitement. Two adults, male and female, rushed after him worriedly.<p>

"Be careful, Eren! Don't leave your father and me behind!" the woman called. She wore a long, flowing white skirt and a light blue blouse. Her shiny black hair was tied haphazardly on the side of her head. Her husband was a tall, thin man with a small beard and round glasses. Finally, they caught up to their son, who had stopped at a certain brick pillar. Eren stared at the wall, eyes sparkling with determination. His small hands gripped the handle of his trolley tightly.

"I'm ready, mom. I want to learn magic already!" Eren proclaimed.

"Ssssshhhhh!" his mother scolded, glancing around at the people bustling to their destinations. "What if the muggles heard you running your mouth about magic? You have to be more careful than that, Eren!" The brunet ducked his head shamefully and muttered a small "Sorry..." Right at that moment, an even smaller boy with long blonde hair and an over-sized sweater ran towards the brick pillar.

"Bye, grandpa!" he yelled over his shoulder before disappearing through the wall. An elderly man standing a few feet away from Eren laughed and waved at his grandchild. Eren's eyes widened in wonder.

"Please, can I go now dad?" Eren asked quickly. Eren's father lifted the corners of his mouth slightly. It almost looked like a smile.

"Alright, you can go now. Be safe and polite on the train, okay?" his father lectured. The teal-eyed boy nodded his head furiously, wanting to be on the train already.

"And make sure you don't spend all of your money on candy!" his mother added. "You need it for emergencies!"

"Okay mom! Bye!" Eren hugged his parents tightly before grabbing his trolley once more and sprinting towards the brick wall. As he got closer and closer, his white cat meowed nervously and pawed at her cage.

"It'll be alright, Echo!" Eren chirped excitedly. When they reached the wall, instead of crashing into it, Eren and his trolley slid through it seamlessly. It was dark for a few seconds, and the brunet experienced an odd sensation like water flowing past him. It disappeared as quickly as it had come, and a bright light flooded Eren's surroundings. He squinted, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. When his turquoise eyes had adjusted, the first thing they spotted was a wrought iron sign that read "Platform 9 3/4".

Eren was practically vibrating with anticipation. He pushed his trolley forwards, taking in all of the sights and smells. On one side of the platform, men and women were hugging their children, tears rolling down their faces. Older kids were together in groups, chatting animatedly about how their summer went. A few owls few overhead, children running and calling their names desperately.

Eren smiled, glad that he had chosen Echo as a companion. The white feline was a great cat; she was uncharacteristically loyal and well-behaved.

The brunet glanced to his left and gasped. On the tracks was a magnificent red and black train. It belched out black smoke and seemed to huff in eagerness. On the side of the head car was a beautiful insignia made of gold. On either side of the insignia, it read "Hogwarts Railways".

Eren's eyes were fixed on the incredible machine before him. As he was walking, not paying attention to his surroundings, a raven-haired boy strolled right into Eren's trolley. They crashed head on, Eren's bags scattering everywhere. Echo let out a loud meow as her cage fell to the ground.

"O-oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Eren stuttered, rushing over to the other kid and helping him up. The other boy scowled at Eren, brushing dirt off of his white shirt and leather vest.

"Watch where you're going, brat," the raven growled. Eren flinched back, quickly stammering "Yes sir! Sorry!" before grabbing his bags and messily throwing them back onto his trolley. The other kid rolled his silver eyes.

"It's Levi, not 'sir'," the boy commented. "I'm the same age as you, kid." Eren flinched in embarrassment and turned to bite back a retort, but before he could reply, the raven called Levi was gone. The brunet stood there for a second, dazed, before shaking his head and collecting the rest of this things. That was odd...

Eren quickly forgot about the mysterious kid as he walked through Platform 9 and 3/4. Train guards announced the nearing dismissal of the train, and Eren started hurrying towards a luggage holder near the back of the train. He loaded his things quickly, making sure to give Echo to a handler, and then jumped into the closest entrance of the Hogwarts Express.

Eren practically ran through the narrow hallway of the train, looking into various compartments to find a suitable place. He passed by a few full rooms, getting more nervous the longer he looked, before he finally found an empty spot labeled "Compartment 104". The teal-eyed boy slid open the door and lifted his carry-on bag above the seat onto a shelf before sitting next to the window and getting comfortable.

Now that he was on the train, Eren realized that it would be a long ride before they reached the castle. He closed his eyes, praying for sleep, even though it was practically impossible with all of the adrenaline flowing through him. His thoughts drifted towards the silver-eyed boy.

_ "Levi..."_ Eren thought._"That's an interesting name. Come to think of it, he didn't have any belongings with him."_ With these thoughts in mind, Eren started to relax. and eventually drifted off into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

When Eren awoke, he didn't expect to see what was before him. Actually, he didn't expect to see a lot of things. An elephant would be one of these things, for example. The Great Wall of China would be another. However, what was in front of him was neither a large mammal nor was it a wonder of the world. It was, in fact, two very large, curious blue eyes. The eleven year old flinched backwards.

"Um..." Eren said, avoiding the person's stare nervously. "Can I help you...?" The cerulean eyes blinked once, twice, before widening in realization and disappearing from Eren's view. The owner of said eyes jumped backwards, a light dusting of pink covering his face in embarrassment.

"Oops! Sorry! Y-you just looked familiar, so, um, I just wanted to see your face. I'm not a creep or anything, I swear!" the kid replied quickly. Eren smiled at the flustered boy in front of him. Now that the boy was farther away, the brunet realized that he was the one who ran through the wall before him. Eren recognized the light blue sweater that dangled off the kid's shoulders and completely covered his hands. He also had silky blond hair that framed his face rather well. Even for an eleven year old, the boy had a large amount of baby fat still on his face, making him look exceptionally young. If Eren hadn't known better, he would've thought that the boy in front of him was too young to be on the Hogwarts Express.

"It's alright," Eren laughed, looking at the other boy with curiosity. "I'm Eren Jaeger, first year. What's your name?" The blond immediately relaxed at Eren's soothing and friendly tone of voice, taking a seat opposite of the brunet and letting out a small breath.

"My name is Armin Arlet. I'm a first year as well," Armin introduced politely, folding his small hands in his lap. Eren noticed the small cage covered in a dark green cloth next to Armin's small frame.

"What's that?" Eren asked, pointing to the cage. Armin looked down at what Eren was referring to before smiling and lifting the cover up. The brunet was surprised to see a minuscule ball of feathers perched on a bar of the cage. It rose and fell with its breaths, and a few light brown feathers could be seen falling to the floor of the cage.

"This is my companion, Bertholdt," the blond announced proudly. "He's a burrowing owl. The smallest species of owl on Earth, did you know? He had to be imported here from North America! They usually grow to be ten inches tall, and they're very friendly towards humans. They're even smaller than squirrels! Of course, since they're so small, they eat mainly bugs," Armin rambled on and on, clearly knowing a lot about Bertholdt's species. The owl seemed to huff, as if it had heard its owner give this speech countless times. Eren muffled a laugh behind his hand. Seeing Armin's expressiveness for the first time, it was easy to tell that he was quite intelligent.

Eren settled back into his seat, happily resigned to listening to Armin's speech, when the door to Compartment 104 opened once more and a girl slid inside. She wore a white dress with matching shoes, but both articles of clothing had scuffs and dirt on them, suggesting that the girl had been hurrying to reach the train. Eren noticed the girl's long black hair and thought of the boy called Levi for a split second before pushing him to the back of his mind. The girl turned around and bowed slightly to the others.

"Hello, my I am Mikasa Ackerman, and I am a first year. May I sit with you during the ride to Hogwarts?" the girl asked quietly, looking at the others with sharp black eyes. Eren glanced at Armin, who shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" Armin accepted happily. "You can sit next to me." The blue-eyed boy patted the spot next to him. Mikasa nodded her head slightly and took a seat. Eren noticed that she had no belongings, either.

Most of the train ride was spent by getting to know one another. While Mikasa didn't speak much, she did tell the new acquaintances that she lived with her mother near Karanese. Her mother is a muggle, and her father was a wizard.

Armin informed them that he was completely muggle-born, and that his parents died in a car crash when he was young. He has lived with his grandfather ever since, who is a very well-educated and wise man. From him, Armin picked up reading and strived to learn as many things as he could. When he turned seven, his grandpa found him floating above his bed. That was when they first discovered that Armin was a wizard.

Eren explained that he was a half blood; his father's parents were both muggles, but his mother is a pureblood witch. They used to live in Germany, but when his mother's parent's found out that she had married a mudblood, they threw her out. Eren's parents then moved to Shiganshina and gave birth to Eren. Eren has played quidditch ever since he was little. When Mikasa heard the brunet talk about the sport, her black eyes lit up.

"I play quidditch, too," she murmured. Eren smiled and wriggled excitedly.

"Really? What position do you play?" he questioned.

"I'm a Beater," she replied.

"Wow, really?! I would have taken you for a Chaser! That's what I am, by the way. I've always wanted to be a Seeker, but my eyes can't pick up the Snitch's movements," Eren complained, slumping back in his seat.

The trio talked like this for hours, and the sun slowly started to creep towards the horizon like honey running down its jar. The candy trolley passed by their compartment a few times, and Eren decided to buy a chocolate frog and a pumpkin pasty. It wouldn't be too bad to spend just a littlle bit of his galleons on candy, he thought. Eren learned that Armin was hoping to join Ravenclaw, while Mikasa had no preference whatsoever. Eren agreed; he was content just to be able to attend Hogwarts. During a lull in the conversation, Armin glanced out the window and gave a shout of surprise, jumping up out of his seat.

"Look! It's the castle!" he exclaimed. Eren stood as well and pressed his face to the glass, eagerly searching for Hogwarts. Just past a rolling hill, the towers of the castle could be seen. As the train rolled along further, the magnificent lake could be seen in front.

"Wow..." Mikasa breathed, clutching the hem of her dress. Eren's hands tightened into fists as he gazed at the beautiful sight. The train slowed to a crawl and let out a hiss of steam before stopping with a jolt. Eren snatched his bag from above and shot out of the compartment. Other students were sticking their heads out, looking around lazily as if they had just awoken. Armin and Mikasa trailed behind the teal-eyed boy, who was blazing a path to the nearest exit of the train. When he finally reached the doorway, Eren leaped out and landed heavily on the cobblestone station floor.

An extremely tall man with blond hair and a beard and moustache ambled over. In his hand was a lantern, already lit in anticipation for the darkness that was soon to come. Oddly, he sniffed the air as the students spilled out of the train's doors.

"Hmmm," the man hummed. "My name is Professor Mike. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."


	3. Chapter 3: Into the Castle

The view of the castle from the train station was simply magnificent. Eren stared at it in wonder, stunned by its beauty. Tall, dark towers rose into the sky like tendrils of smoke and warm yellow light shone through the ornate windows. The warm light seemed to invite the students in, promising safety and happiness inside the black stone walls.

"Come on, we don't have all day," Professor Mike yawned. "You don't need to worry about your bags; we'll bring them up to the castle for you. First years, head down to the docks! It's customary for you to ride a boat across the lake the first time you visit Hogwarts."

Eren snapped out of his reverie just as Mikasa and Armin came bounding out of the train to join him. Like flowing water, the students spilled out of the train. The first years, all short, scrawny, and scared, looked at each other nervously before starting the journey to the docks. Without speaking, the trio agreed that they would be in a boat together. Eren led the three first years, striding with confidence. Leading all of the first years was Professor Mike, silently looking ahead and holding his glowing lantern up high.

Finally, they arrived at the shore of the lake. It was shimmering, darkness slowly taking over its waters as the sun fell on the horizon. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin quickly chose a boat at random and climbed in. The brown wood was finely carved and sufficiently clean. Eren perched at the mast of the boat, looking over the water to search for the other side. From this angle, it was nowhere to be found.

When all of the students were on the boats, the professor signaled everyone to unlatch the rope holding the boats ashore. Mikasa took hold of their boat's rope and pulled it off the post on the shore with minimal effort. Just like that, they were slicing through waves, gliding closer and closer towards Hogwarts. The trio glanced at each other excitedly.

After a minute or two, Eren settled back into his seat and glanced around at the other boats. Many of the children in the boats were unfamiliar to him, just more faces in a sea of gray. As the brunet scanned the group with little interest, he felt something akin to a piece of ice piercing his skin. Eren swung his head in the direction of the coldness to find the boy from the train station.

"Levi…" Eren thought. The teal-eyed boy met the raven's silver glare warily. As their staring contest continued, Eren took into account the other boy's features. He didn't have the time to notice before, but the other male was rather handsome. Well, as handsome as a twelve year old can be. His night black hair was styled into an odd kind of undercut, and his skin was almost paper-white. The contrast made him stand out tremendously. The moon, now floating at the top of the sky, illuminated Levi's skin beautifully. His silver gaze was piercing and calculating, making Eren even more nervous than he thought to be possible.

A loud "Thunk!" jolted the brunet from his observations as he whipped his head towards the noise.

"Let's go, kids! Out, out of the boats and to the castle," Professor Mike urged, stepping out of his own boat. The first years scrambled to obey his orders.

"I'm so excited," Armin mumbled. "Hogwarts looks just like it did in the books! The architecture is so beautiful, I wonder if they got their influence from the Greco-Roman sculpture work of..." It was around that time in Armin's spiel that Eren decided to stop paying attention. In the short time that he had known the blond, he had learned that it was best to zone out and occasionally nod and at least pretend like you knew what Armin was talking about. Hey, if the tactic worked on his mother, it should definitely work on a kid his own age.

Eren searched the crowd of students walking up the steep dirt path, looking for pale skin and pitch black hair. There! A glimpse of it, just on the left of a rather tall redhead. The brunet stared at Levi intently, although having no substantial reason to. Something, Eren didn't know what, gravitated him towards the mysterious raven with the calculating eyes.

Soon enough, the group was reaching the top of the trail and viewing the intricate stone and wooden doors of the castle. Professor flicked his wrist almost lazily, looking about as excited as a sloth. The towering doors swung outwards, allowing warm light to shine on the first years' faces. They all shuffled forwards, ready to begin the year of magic. Upon first entering the castle, Eren decided not to blame Armin for obsessing over the architecture. He himself was amazed by the stretching archways and sculpted columns that filled the interior of the castle and the hundreds of paintings that hung from the walls that seemed to go on forever. Was it just Eren's imagination, or did that painting just move?

As they traipsed through the corridor, Professor Mike leading as always, the chatter began to dim down and eventually stopped completely. An ominous silence settled over the group as they approached another set of doors. This time, the professor put his lantern down on the cold floor and straightened up, turning fully to address the first years.

"I will be leaving you now. Professor Hanji should be here any minute, so sit tight and don't break anything, alright?" he drawled. Without explaining much else or waiting for a response, he left his lantern on the floor and strolled off down a corridor to the left. The first years watched him leave, disbelief shining in their eyes. But before anyone could speak up, another set of footsteps could be heard coming from the right corridor. They were comparable to an elephant. Or several.

A tall, dark-haired woman strode up to the students, glasses shining mischievously. Eren swallowed, nervousness trickling through his body in the presence of the woman.

"Why hellooooo there, my precious pupils!" the woman sang, throwing her arms up dramatically. "My name is Professor Hanji. Welcome to the Great Hall! This is where you will eat all of your meals and occasionally attend classes. When you pass these doors, you will be sorted into the house that you will stay in until you graduate from Hogwarts in your 7th year. Questions? None? Good. Well then, let's begin!" With that, Professor Hanji spun and grabbed the door handles, flinging them to the side and effectively opening the doors.

Eren flooded into the Great Hall along with all of the other students, overwhelmed by the new sights. Hundreds of candles floated in midair, lighting the room effortlessly. The brunet tilted his head upwards and gazed at the ceiling. Or, what was supposed to be the ceiling...In it's place were clouds, stars, and the inky black night sky.

"It's bewitched," Armin whispered in Eren's ear. "I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." Eren nodded, only half listening. Mikasa was quiet as always, but her eyes were widened in amazement. On the floor, four long banquet tables stretched down the hall. Each table was packed with returning Hogwarts students. Their expectant stares trailed on the first years, and Eren involuntarily shivered. He switched his teal gaze to the front of the hall, spotting another table that was perpendicular to the students' tables and housed a bunch of adults who Eren assumed to be the professors. In the middle of the head table, a well-groomed blond man sat with great poise, his blue eyes watching, calculating. The man reminded Eren of Levi.

Just in front of the professors' table lay a plain stool with a rather old, dirty looking hat on top. It had wrinkles upon wrinkles and it was a nasty greenish-brown color. Eren eyed it cautiously not completely aware of what was going on.

"Alright!" Professor Hanji announced rather loudly, gaining everyone's attention. "Let's start the Sorting Ceremony!"


	4. Chapter 4: Sorting Hat and First Feast

The Great Hall was filled with the anticipating whispers floating around as Professor Hanji strolled up to the front. The new students followed her uneasily, clumsy and unsure of their movements. Eren halted a few feet from the steps leading to the teachers' table, watching Professor Hanji intently. "This is it," the brunet thought to himself, determination flowing through him.

"He'll be in Slytherin for sure! Look at him!" a rather tall Hufflepuff said to his comrades while pointing at a thin, sly-looking first year whose eyes gleamed unpleasantly in the candlelight.

Professor Hanji reached into her flowing black robes and pulled out a yellowed scroll and began to unravel it. She cleared her throat, stating "Alright, then, let's begin!" Her eyes scanned the scroll quickly, glasses glinting, before settling on the top of the paper. "When I call your name, please step up to the stool, sit, and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head. From there, it will assign your house, and you may go and sit at the corresponding table." Eren glanced at the hat once more. Now that he was closer, the teal-eyed boy could just make out a disgruntled face created by the wrinkles of the hat.

The professor began to call names, her loud voice echoing through the now silent hall. "First up: Levi Ackerman."

The raven broke from the ranks of first years, seeming to glide up to the seat effortlessly. He glanced at the hat with distaste, and perched himself on the chair as if it were hurting him. Hanji plopped the Sorting hat on the top of his silky black hair, and Levi cringed slightly, his thin eyebrows drawing together in protest. Eren watched the Sorting Hat, noticing the folds of the brown cloth open to form two eyes and a mouth.

"I'm not that dirty, brat," the Sorting Hat spoke, replying to Levi's unspoken thoughts. Levi's eyes widened fractionally in surprise, but let out a small "tch", obviously annoyed that the hat could tell what he was thinking. "Now then," the hat continued. "Let's see, what would suit you best… The first one is the toughest, I always say… Yes, you are quite intelligent; maybe Ravenclaw? No, you are also cunning and fit to be a leader, perhaps Slytherin would be the best choice…" The raven's bored gaze flickered to Gryffindor's table just for a second before flitting back to a random point in space. It was barely noticeable, but Eren picked up on it.

"Ah, I see! Are you sure about that one? You would do well in Slytherin, I can tell. Would you so easily give up such a bright future for one less concrete?... Alright, then, if that is your wish. GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat declared.

Levi slid off of the stool instantly, like it had offended him in some way. Eren watched as he joined his new house, the whole table erupting with cheers and hoots. As he took a seat gingerly, a few nearby students patted him on the back vigorously, and he leaned in to subtly avoid the touches. The others picked up on Levi's hostile, solitary attitude, and awkwardly shifted away from him, creating a small circle of space around the small silver-eyed boy.

The Sorting Hat ceremony continued, names being called rapidly. When Mikasa was called up immediately after the raven, Eren noticed that her surname was the same. He watched her curiously, and, as if she could read his mind, she mouthed "distant cousin". Eren nodded slightly, clarity filling his mind. Almost as soon as the hat was placed upon Mikasa's head, it declared "RAVENCLAW!" The table on the far right of the first years erupted with clapping and cheers. Mikasa, showing no signs of happiness or anger, got up and sat at the table. Just like Levi, she didn't acknowledge her new housemates, but she didn't have the same air of hostility around her.

Armin was quickly sorted into Ravenclaw as well. His eyes lit up when the verdict came, tripping over himself in his eagerness to get to his new house. Eren smiled; he was genuinely happy for his two new friends. Of course, now he knew that he wouldn't be in the same house as them. The brunet was not smart in the least, and would never be able to make it in Ravenclaw.

The names continued to be yelled out into wide expanse of the Great Hall.

"Sasha Blouse! Marco Bott! Reiner Braun!" Professor Hanji announced. It seemed that many of the new students were being sorted into Hufflepuff. The table looked pleased with the large batch of newbies. One by one, the eleven year olds walked up to the stool, reaching their fate. Eren's face became more strained as soon as Professor Hanji finished the last student who had a surname starting with "I". It should be his turn now…

"Misa Jackson!" the professor announced. A tiny dark-skinned girl pushed past a stunned Eren, skipping up happily to the stool and surprisingly being assigned to Slytherin.

Eren's teal gaze stared at Professor Hanji uncomprehendingly. Jaeger! You should've called Jaeger next! Eren's breathing began to accelerate. What if this was a mistake? What if he wasn't supposed to be here? Surely, he was. His mother was a witch! He even got his letter three days before his birthday! Why, then, was his name not on the scroll?! The brunet's wide eyes scanned the faces of the teachers, as if the answer was floating around their slightly bored gazes.

Slowly, slowly, kids trickled up to the hat and got sorted to where they belonged. Jean Kirschtein, a long-faced boy who was sorted into Slytherin. Krista Lenz, a petite blonde that fell into Hufflepuff.

"You don't belong," a voice whispered to Eren. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the noise. Finally, Eren stood alone in the middle row. All eyes were on him, each person holding their breath.

Professor Hanji appraised Eren for a moment before turning her attention to the scroll once more and reading the last name on the list: "Eren Yeager." The air held in Eren's lungs whooshed out all at once, and his body slumped in relief. It was just a typing error. Just an error in printing. He was still a wizard, still belonged, and still was allowed to be there.

On shaky legs, he climbed up the few stairs and plopped down onto the stool that all of his previous classmates had sat on. For some reason, he searched the crowd for a certain pair of silver eyes. At this time of vulnerability, he needed reassurance and stability. He quickly found Levi watching him carefully, interest finally filling his facial features. Eren found it hard to breathe once again.

"Well, you're headstrong, you are," the Sorting Hat chuckled, shifting over Eren's chocolate locks. Eren gripped the sides of the wooden stool tightly, praying that he wouldn't do something stupid like fall off the chair. "So much determination! But not too much logical reasoning; that rules out Ravenclaw." Eren's face burned with embarrassment, swallowing thickly. "I think…GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat declared, finally completing the ceremonies.

Eren got up slowly and made his way to the Gryffindor table. Enough first years had been chosen to the same table that the only available seats left were around Levi. Warily, he sat directly opposite of the raven. Levi met his gaze steadily, seeming to stare into Eren's soul, before blinking and turning to face the professors. Eren followed suit and watched as Hanji collected the Sorting Hat, rolled the scroll, and addressed the Great Hall once more.

"That concludes the Sorting Ceremony. Congratulations to our newest Hogwarts additions!" she announced cheerily. Thundering claps resounded, and Eren felt a warm buzz inside of him at the warm welcome. "Now, we can get on to the feast! But first, a few words from our Headmaster, Erwin Smith!" With that, the woman turned on her heel and strode to the table housing the professors and took a seat at the extreme left side.

The man that sat in the center of the table rose, clearing his throat. The hall fell silent instantly, each student sensing the blond's strong aura of authority.

Erwin Smith was a dapper man, probably no older than 40. He donned a pristine white button-down shirt and crisp black slacks. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up halfway to his elbows, revealing his toned arms. The man stood with confidence that was absolute; he fit the role of headmaster flawlessly. When he spoke, his strong voice effortlessly carried through the hall.

"Welcome, returning students and new students alike. I hope you all are ready for an enriching year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I expect each and every one of you to uphold the standards of this wonderful school and conduct yourselves appropriately. May we have a successful year filled with new experiences and knowledge. Without further ado, the feast!" Professor Smith flicked his wrist smoothly, and out of nowhere, piles of food appeared on the table to accompany the silverware, plates, and goblets.

As the headmaster took his seat once more, Eren turned to the food and eagerly began shoveling it onto his plate. The brunet piled it high with steaming bread rolls, tender chicken, mashed potatoes, and much more. His goblet filled with juice as he touched it, and he regarded it with wonder before gulping down the liquid fervently.

"Eren Yeager," Levi said nonchalantly. Eren immediately fixed his attention to the boy sitting opposite of him. The pale boy was not looking at him, opting instead to analyze the vast expanse of food laid out before them.

"Eren Jaeger, actually," Eren corrected. Levi swung his head to look at the brunet, his forehead crinkling with puzzlement. Eren smiled, answering the raven's unspoken question. "I'm originally from Germany. When my family moved to Trost, to avoid discrimination, we changed our surname to Yeager on all official documents. I completely forgot about that, actually; I still consider my family to be Jaegers." Levi simply grunted in response, letting Eren know that he had understood.

Eren began to eat his food with fervor. He dug into the mashed potatoes smothered with gravy, savoring the flavors on his tongue. Out of the corner of his eye, Eren noticed Levi daintily placing food on his plate before neatly organizing it and separating the meat into tiny cubes.

"Wha ahre shou doin?" Eren mumbled around the food occupying his mouth. As the brunet swallowed heavily, Levi appraised him for a moment before turning his attention back to his own plate.

"I'm staying orderly and avoiding unnecessary messes, a skill you seem to lack," the raven drawled. The boy's mood had switched from mildly curious to hostile. His critical stare sharpened as he saw Eren's face flush with embarrassment as the teal-eyed boy clumsily brushed the remaining food off of his face and snatched his napkin off of the table for the first time.

"Ah, I'm usually not this messy," Eren lamented, still frantically trying to make himself seem more presentable. "I haven't eaten since noon, and I'm really excited to finally be here and to eat this amazing food. I can't wait for school to start, and I'm really nervous about the classes-"

"Alright, that's enough! I get it," Levi cut him off. The raven returned to the process of eating his meal, starting with the pork he had served himself. When the silence stretched to an uncomfortable point, Eren spoke up again to try and generate a conversation.

"So, Gryffindor, huh? I thought that you would be put in Slytherin for sure," Eren laughed. Levi looked up at the brunet, eyes narrowing.

"And why do you say that? Because I'm intimidating?" he asked, almost defensively. His eyes glinted with bitterness and the brunet involuntarily frowned. His eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"Of course not! The impression I got from you was calculated, calm, and composed. You're fit to lead," Eren assured him with confidence. "I've heard that Slytherin houses cunning minds, whereas Gryffindor has bold, fearless, brave students." Levi's face became a bit uncomprehending and confused for a split second before rearranging itself into the usual impassive mask that Eren had already become accustomed to.

"Are you saying that I'm not bold, fearless, or brave, then?" Levi questioned. Eren shook his head more rigorously this time.

"No! All leaders need those qualities! What kind of leader would you be if you could not face a situation confidently? You are surely a brave and fearless person, I can tell just by your disposition!" Eren stated passionately, a fire burning in his turquoise eyes. Levi watched the fire rage inside the seas of blue silently.

"I see," was all that he said in response. A considerable amount of tension left the air, and Eren visibly relaxed. Slowly but surely, he was learning to enjoy himself in the other boy's presence. Maybe they'd become friends someday. Smiling, Eren returned his attention to his food.


	5. Chapter 5: First Day of School

**Note: **

**Hello lovely readers! Thank you for deciding to read this far into my story, It's truly mind-blowing that even a few people like it. I'm so happy \^_^/. Unfortunately, I'll be gone all of this week at a national contest, which means that I won't be able to update the story until Saturday. I'm sorry for this inconvenience, but to make up for it, this chapter will be long! Wish me luck at my contest!**

**P.S. Does anyone have a preference towards the PoV of the story? Would you like to see a chapter from Levi's PoV in the future? Please let me know!**

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><p>The Gryffindor tower was too far from the Great Hall. Eren wouldn't be able to do this every day! Walking up all of those staircases that just randomly change whenever they feel like it is hell on earth! Why did Gryffindor have to be so far away from everything else? Although, Eren can't complain too much; he had heard that the Slytherin common room is underneath the lake...<p>

All Gryffindor students were currently being led by this year's Gryffindor prefect, Hitch. She was a loud, narcissistic girl, and often made jokes at the first years' expense. Eren already disliked her.

As the students approached the top of the tower, a large painting came into sight. It displayed a rather plump woman in a fancy pink dress and curly hair sipping wine. All of a sudden, the woman in the painting shifted her weight to her left foot and glared down at the new students snootily.

"Well, well, what do we have here? New Gryffindor students? I assume you don't even know the password; however, it is required to enter the common room. So, I am obligated to ask: Password?" she asked snarkily. Hitch, who had fallen back a bit to admire her reflection in a mirror, pushed towards the front of the group.

"Move, newbies! Don't you have any respect for your elders?" she scolded, huffing and straightening her black robes. She turned to the portrait of the fat lady and spoke. "The password this year is 'Gerrymander'."

"Correct! In you go!" the lady sang, and her frame swung open to reveal a short passage way leading to a large room adorned with crimson and gold. As Eren walked in with the other Gryffindors, he spotted two staircases leading to higher levels of the castle. Both had signs above them, one reading 'GIRLS' whilst the other read 'BOYS'. Bookcases lined every available wall, and two large iced windows could be seen on either side of the circular room. A rather large fireplace was located directly to the wall on the right, and many loveseats and plush chairs were surrounding it.

The brunet also noticed that as soon as Levi walked into the room, he immediately began inspecting it. As everyone passed by the fireplace, he wiped a finger across the mantle and inspected it for dust. Finding none, he simply nodded to himself slightly and continued his evaluation. The raven's eyes darted to the corners of the ceilings for spider webs and carefully looked at the glass windows for any smudges or bugs. Eren stifled a small laugh. It seemed that the boy was a bit of a clean freak. Levi heard the laugh nonetheless and glared at Eren.

"Is there a problem?" he spoke quietly as to avoid the attention of others. Eren shook his head, still smiling.

"None at all," the brunet replied cheekily. Levi glowered at him before continuing to follow Hitch. The 5th year gave a quick introduction to the common room, explaining that room assignments were on the bulletin board and that schedules would be distributed tomorrow morning promptly at 7:30. Breakfast was at 7:45.

With that short explanation, Hitch turned her back and sauntered up the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory. All of the Gryffindors began crowding the bulletin, seeking the room arrangements. Eren shoved his way to the front, firmly believing that force was the best way to get what you want. As he elbowed a skinny boy who was being too annoying, Eren finally reached the front of the group. His teal eyes quickly scanned the list, looking for his own name. There! Right next to another name: Levi Ackerman. Eren grinned happily

"Levi!" the brunet shouted over the clamor of people. "Levi, I didn't know your last name was Ackerman? Anyways, we're roommates! Isn't that wonderful?!" Eren spotted the tuft of silky black hair at the back of the crowd. He pushed his way over to the raven, practically bursting with excitement. He grabbed Levi's arm, but the boy shook it off with disgust.

"Don't touch me with the arm you just used to touch other filthy humans! Disgusting," Levi lamented, grabbing his handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiping his arm thoroughly while scowling. "And you're saying my name wrong." Eren pouted slightly, not seeming to hear that last part, but quickly forgot about the moment.

"Levi, let's go find our room now! My cat must be all alone and really sad right now," Eren worried, walking over to the boys' dormitory staircase.

"You're still pronouncing it wrong," Levi muttered before speaking loud enough for Eren to hear him. "Hm, that's interesting; I have a cat too. He's a black Chartreux named Song." Eren wheeled around to face Levi rapidly, his cerulean eyes glowing with excitement.

"My cat is a white Maine Coon named Echo! She's a girl," Eren gushed. Levi glanced at the brunet as he brushed past him.

"That's great," Levi said sarcastically. "Sadly, Song hates all people and cats, not including me." Eren's face fell, but he followed Levi like a lost puppy anyways. As the duo approached their dorm, labeled "Dorm 221", loud meows could be heard. Eren's brow furrowed in worry; what if the foreign cat was hostile towards his precious Echo? The two boys glanced at each other quickly before Levi inserted the key into the lock and allowed the door to swing open.

The first thing they spotted was a huge ball of white and black fur in the middle of the room. Both cats' cages were wide open on either sides of the room. The two said cats were currently in a process that looked like they were trying to absorb each other. Their tails were intertwined, and Echo lay on top of Song's stomach, turning her head to meow at him affectionately. Both of the felines were purring profusely.

"What…the…" Levi muttered, looking perplexed.

"That's great, Echo! You found a mate!" Eren cheered, going over and petting his cat's long fur. Song glared at Eren for touching his newfound mate, but allowed the owner to pet his cat. Levi just stood in the doorway, watching the scene almost dumbly.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," the raven said, still watching his black cat in confusion. "Song hates everyone. He once tried to claw another cat's eye out. A man was sent to the hospital due to excessive bleeding caused by his scratches. I don't understand…" Levi's cat simply looked up at his owner with vivid green eyes. Eren shrugged and walked to the bed on the left side of the room.

"They're in love, obviously. They were probably with each other the whole time on the train and in this room," Eren stated nonchalantly, grabbing his bag and beginning to unpack his stuff into the trunk at the food of his bed. "Oh, is it alright if I take this bed, Levi?"

"My name is not Levy, idiot!" the raven burst out, glaring at Eren. The brunet turned to look at Levi in confusion.

"Of course it is! It was on the dorm assignments, I saw it…" he trailed off, tilting his head to the side. _"Cute…" _Levi thought before shaking his head to clear his train of thought.

"No, you shithead, I'm talking about the pronunciation! It's LEEvi, not LeVY," the silver-eyed boy scolded.

"So, Leeveey?"

"No, brat, LEEvigh."

"…Levee?"

"Eren, that's what you were saying before. Listen carefully; it's pronounced "LEEVI. Got it?"

"Not really…"

"Agh! Forget it," Levi sighed, scowling at a distant point in space and falling onto his bed. Eren folded his hands in his lap nervously, glancing at Levi.

"_Great, now I've upset him…"_ Eren thought miserably. "I'm sorry, Levi." The brunet looked down at his hands just as Levi looked up at him. He sighed again, quieter this time.

"It's fine, brat," the raven mumbled before slipping underneath the blankets and facing his back to Eren. The brunet watched Levi for a while before following suit and burrowing underneath his covers. A small smile was on his face the whole night.

A loud yawn made its way past Eren's lips as he stretched his arms high above his head. Sleepily, he pulled his covers off and grabbed his new Gryffindor robes off of his trunk. He noticed that Levi's bed was empty and neatly made. Not a wrinkle soiled the vast expanse of Levi's blanket.

Eren made his way to the community bathrooms, quickly going to the bathroom before showering. Still half asleep, he toweled off and put on his robes. Then he headed down to the common room, where he spotted Levi sitting on one of the couches, reading a book entitled "Potions for the Beginning Witch or Wizard". The brunet, feeling more awake now, shuffled down the staircase and threw himself over the back of Levi's couch.

"Why are you reading that boring stuff?" Eren wondered, draping himself along the length of the couch. Levi put his book down to look at Eren with an unreadable expression.

"To learn," the raven answered simply, turning back to his book. Eren frowned.

"But you're already going to do that. It's the first day of school. Speaking of which, we have to leave to go to breakfast in five minutes! Did you get your schedule yet?" the teal-eyed boy questioned. Levi silently held up a piece of white paper, still reading his book. Eren snatched it from his hands and walked over to the table holding all the schedules. He easily found his own, being at the bottom of the stack, and held it near Levi's to compare.

"Levi, we have four classes together!" Eren announced happily. Levi grunted in acknowledgement. The brunet continued to read their schedules aloud. "We have 1st period, Potions, 2nd period, Care of Magical Creatures, 3rd, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and 6th, Transfiguration together. That means that we can start and end the day with each other!"

"How splendid," Levi drawled from behind his book. Eren glared at the raven halfheartedly.

"Whatever. I know you're happy inside," Eren commented. More and more Gryffindors started filling the common room, getting ready to start their first day of school.

Five minutes later, the Gryffindors were piling out of the common room and down the tower towards the Great Hall. Eren walked beside Levi, who proved to be not talkative at all.

Instead of conversing, Eren decided to observe his new home. He craned his head up searching for the ceiling and just barely spotting it, yards upon yards above their heads. As he was marveling at the tall hallway, Levi had to jerk him away from a staircase that had just shifted away from the platform they were on.

"Shitty brat, watch where you're going!" Levi rolled his eyes. Eren ducked his head and mumbled "Sorry, Levi," before continuing his observations. He saw many doorways leading to unknown places and made a mental note to go exploring later.

Eventually, the boys met up with Ravenclaw students. Amongst them were Armin and Mikasa, and Eren hurried over to greet them.

"Good morning!" he yelled, gaining a few glares from the still-sleepy Ravenclaws. He smiled sheepishly and waved his hand as an apology.

"Hello, Eren," Armin smiled. "How was your night? Is the Gryffindor tower accommodating?"

"It's great, Armin! The beds are super comfy and it's nice and warm up there," the brunet gushed. Mikasa smiled at Eren's happiness.

"Good! Ravenclaw's dormitory is very high quality, as well. There are so many books! They have a whole wall just dedicated to biographies of famous witches and wizards, and another about the origins and history of magic! Isn't that fascinating?" Armin started to go off on another one of his spiels, and Eren nodded his head absently.

Eren and his friends reached the Great Hall, and they had to separate to sit at their own tables. The brunet reunited with Levi and took a seat at the long table. Food was already laid out; mountains of bagels, pancakes, and scrambled eggs were dispersed throughout the table, and Eren's mouth began to water.

Once again, he filled his plate and got a glass of milk. Levi regarded the milk with a look of mild disgust.

"Ew, you like milk?" he said rudely. Eren stared at him, surprised.

"Of course! Don't you? Milk is life," he preached, looking at his goblet fondly. "Milk is filled with nutrition and tastes really good. It's like water, but better."

"It comes from nipples," Levi said bluntly. A laugh bubbled up Eren's throat involuntarily. The brunet looked at the raven, whose face remained impassive.

"Wow, what a great argument, Levi. You totally swayed my opinion. One day, you're going to regret not drinking milk," Eren predicted. Levi just rolled his eyes.

"Sure I will."

At 8:00, a chime went through the Great Hall, signaling for students to report to their first period. Eren grabbed Levi's robe sleeve and dragged him out of the hall at lightning speed.

"Potions first!" Eren sang. Levi just grumbled, allowing himself to be led for the time being.

In their Potions class, Eren learned for the first time that he was immune to catching fire every five minutes. Thank goodness Levi was there to snuff out the flames, or else Eren would be singed for the rest of his life. On a positive note, the professor teaching potions was none other than Professor Hanji. Although she was extremely, ehm, passionate, she was also very informative and helpful. They created a simple potion to cure scars since it was the first day of school; the professor wasn't permitted to teach anything complicated until the 3rd week, as per the orders of Headmaster Smith.

"It's ridiculous, really," Professor Hanji complained, slumping back in her seat. "Potions class is so exciting! We need to get right into the complex practices straightaway!"

In Eren and Levi's next class, Care of Magical Creatures, they once again saw a familiar face. Professor Mike was the teacher this time. There weren't any creatures yet, but he explained what the class was and what kind of animals they would be handling, from unicorns to Ibong Adarnas. Levi seemed repelled by the idea of touching a wild animal, but refrained from spewing any insults.

Continuing to their third class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Eren noticed that Levi looked more eager. He sat straight in his chair and watched Professor Eld intently. Again, like Care of Magical Creatures, they didn't start any lessons; rather, Professor Eld just informed them of the planned schedule for the year and wished them luck at Hogwarts.

In the next class, Eren and Levi split up for the first time that day. Eren went to Herbology, where he noticed with delight that Armin was also enrolled in. Levi went to Divination in the North Tower. Eren was happy that he had a class with his new friend. Professor Petra introduced a few minor plants to the class, and Armin was able to identify each one. Eren praised him for his intelligence and the professor awarded Ravenclaw 5 points.

Fifth period passed by slowly, as Eren had Muggle Studies while Levi had Herbology. The professor teaching Muggle Studies, Professor Gunther, was incredibly boring and droned on about the various aspects of the Muggle world. Eren was relieved to be released from the class when the bell chimed. He met Levi in the hallway and they headed to their last class together.

When the boys walked into the Transfiguration classroom, they saw "Professor Dita" scrawled across the blackboard. Eren and Levi took a seat towards the front of the classroom. As more students began to file in through the door, Eren noticed that a few of them were from Slytherin. The sly looks in their eyes and their lanky gaits suited the house they were assigned to. Levi's eyes narrowed in wariness, noticing them too. Cheshire cat's grins were plastered on their faces, spelling out trouble.

"Alright class, welcome to Transfiguration!" Professor Dita announced, coming out of his study. A red bandana covered his head and he wore dark red robes. "Since it's the first day, we will be starting off with transfiguring ladybugs. On each table, there should be a small container holding a few ladybugs. I'd like you to open this container, point your wands at the bugs, and focus! Try to change the color of their wings from red to green. Focus is key! Try to channel your magic through your wand and will the colors to change," the professor instructed.

Levi unscrewed the cap of their tables' container, effectively releasing the ladybugs. As he and Eren were concentrating on transfiguring their ladybugs (Levi having no trouble whatsoever while Eren broke a light sweat), snickering could be heard from behind them. The Slytherin first years were whispering to each other and laughing. One of them, a tall one with dirty blond hair, discreetly pointed his wand at Eren's robes and whispered "Diffindo!" Instantly, Eren's black robes started ripping. A large rip trailed from the hem of his robes all the way up the side to the sleeves.

"What the-?" Eren yelled in confusion, jumping up. Laughter from the Slytherins reverberated around the room, but was quickly silenced when Levi turned and gave them a deadly glare.

"You think that's funny, you little shits?" he taunted, drawing his wand and pointing it at them threateningly. "What if I tore YOU in half, huh? I think that would be pretty hilarious."

"Mr. Ackerman! Please sit down," Professor Dita commanded worriedly. "Minus ten points from Slytherin, thanks to Mr. Davis's antics. You'll meet me on Wednesday night for an hour of detention, understand, sir?" The Slytherin rolled his eyes and grumbled, complaining under his breath, but nodded slightly anyways. "Good," Professor Dita said before continuing on with the lesson.

Eren's mood decreased considerably throughout the rest of class. Even though he managed to transfigure the ladybug correctly, his morale failed to improve. Levi glanced at him worriedly the whole walk back to their tower. When the duo finally reached their room, Eren collapsed on his bed and moved no further.

"Hey, brat," Levi tried, going over to him and shaking his shoulder slightly. No response. "Eren, seriously, listen. I know something good that will help you." Eren lifted his head, one teal eye peeking through his chocolate brown locks.

"And what's that?" he asked dejectedly. Levi said nothing, just urged Eren to stand up. He pulled on the brunet until he was standing straight up and his arms were up in the air.

Levi took a step back, flourished his wand at Eren's robes and said "Repairo!" Just as quickly as Eren's robes had unraveled, the stitches became to come back together. It looked like an invisible person was sewing Eren's robes back together. Eren watched the process with wonder.

"That was amazing, Levi! You're talented!" Eren complimented the raven loudly. A small dusting of pink covered Levi's cheeks, but he turned before Eren could see.

"Whatever brat, just be thankful." Without warning, Eren came from behind and hugged Levi. Levi froze in surprise and turned his head slightly, but could only spot Eren's tuft of brown hair.

"Thank you," Eren whispered sincerely.

"Tch," said Levi.


	6. Chapter 6: Autumn

**Hey guys, I'm back! I'm happy to announce that my team and I got 4th in the nation for the contest we were in this past week! Yaaay! I'm sorry that I haven't updated earlier, but I had a crap ton of homework to do (after all, I did miss a whole week of school). I'm still not done with it all, honestly! But I decided to take an hour to write a quick little filler chapter before I started with a few major parts to my plot. I hope you enjoy!**

"It's too damn windy," Levi grumbled, wrapping his crimson and gold striped scarf around his neck even tighter. It was only the beginning of October, but the temperature had already dropped twenty degrees, and the breezy gusts coming from the lake weren't helping anything.

Eren smiled at the raven. "I love cold weather," he hummed happily. "It means that autumn is coming. That means hot chocolate, leaves changing colors, boots, pumpkins, coffee…" Levi huffed and shifted closer to the brunet.

"That's because you aren't freezing your arse off," he complained. "You're practically a walking furnace, brat." Eren frowned, turning to flick Levi on the forehead lightly.

"I'm not a brat! We're almost the same age, anyways," the teal-eyed boy whined. The raven rolled his eyes at Eren's pouting.

"Whatever, you're still a brat."

The two Gryffindors students had just been released from their Transfiguration class and were walking towards their dorm to collect study materials needed to complete their homework. The open hallways welcomed the bursts of chilly air coming from the west and Levi shivered for the thousandth time that hour.

"Eren, seriously, let's just go to the library to study," Levi urged, his nose turning a shade of light red. "We don't have to study outside."

Eren just shook his head, walking with determination. "We're going to study outside under the oak tree. No ifs, ands, or buts," he stated resolutely.

"Oh, don't worry," the silver-eyed boy sneered. "We won't even have butts after this. They'll have frozen off." Eren pretended that he hadn't heard the snarky remark and kept walking at a brisk pace.

They reached the stairs fairly soon and began to climb the moving walkways. A month had passed since the duo had arrived, and yet Eren was still constantly in danger of falling from the shifting stairs. If it wasn't for Levi, the brunet would have broken several bones by now. Levi safely maneuvered Eren through the stairs and they finally arrived at their dorm room.

Even through the heavy oak wood of the door, purring could be heard, resonating loudly. The raven sighed.

"I still can't believe this," he muttered, pushing the door open to reveal the boys' cats curled together on Eren's bed. "Song hates everyone. I just don't understand how your mangy cat is any different." Eren let out a protesting sound, but moved over to his bed to pet the loving animals. Levi didn't allow the felines to touch his own bed, fearing the imminent threat of cat hair completely covering his pristine sheets. Eren's bed already had a fine layer of white and black strands dusting the top.

"Echo is just a very friendly cat. She's so great," the boy praised his cat, reaching around and scratching her ears. The white cat purred even louder and leaned into her owner's touch, much to the dismay of Song. The black feline growled and swiped at Eren's hand, and the brunet quickly whipped it away. "Well then," he muttered, glaring at Levi's cat in mild hurt.

"I told you; Song hates everyone," Levi sniffed, watching the scene play out indifferently.

"Whatever," Eren quickly got over the cat's hostility. "Let's grab our books and head back outside!" He beamed at Levi, who groaned in exasperation and resignation. Within minutes, the boys had collected all the materials they needed and were emerging back outside. Eren breathed in the crisp air and Levi noticed a large smile plastered on the brunet's face.

Without further ado, Eren jogged over to a large oak tree sitting right at the top of a rolling hill and plopped down at the trunk. He leaned against the rough bark, looking up at the orange and red leaves just barely clinging on to the branches. Soon enough, Levi had joined him, although he was sitting neatly on top of a fresh blanket.

"Okay, let's get our potions homework done first. I don't know what that shitty glasses was thinking, giving us five pages of terms to define," Levi complained, easily selecting the dark blue textbook labeled "Potions for Beginners". Eren extracted fresh quills, ink, and paper from his pile of materials and handed Levi some. Quietly, they began the tedious work in front of them.

How many hours had passed? Levi couldn't tell. The sun was still up, although barely, and his legs had gone numb a long time ago. With a flick of his quill, he finished the last sentence of the last piece of homework, and leaned back against the tree heavily. Finally, the raven was finished!

He glanced over to his partner and was not surprised to see the brunet curled up against Levi's side, sleeping soundly. The quill had fallen from Eren's fingers and the ink's cap was not screwed on. Levi, trying not to wake his partner up, carefully arranged the supplies and threw his extra blanket over the brunet's shoulders. He watched his sleeping face with something akin to affection; people did not know the beauty of their faces while sleeping. Levi loved this most about sleep. Eren could never know how amazing he looked without any masks or filters. Just natural, honest beauty.

As Levi gazed upon Eren's face as the setting sun fell behind the distant mountains, he felt a flicker in his heart.


	7. Chapter 7: Quidditch

Every day, despite Eren's unwillingness, the two boys woke at 6:00 a.m., showered, ate breakfast, and reported to class. Their routine had become consistent over the past month, to the point that Eren's alarm clock was the sound of Levi arriving from the showers. Their mornings were so fluid; when Eren got dressed, Levi was making his bed. When the raven filled the pet bowls, Eren was brushing his teeth. The duo had become so in sync, they could tell what the other was doing based on the sun's position in the sky. Therefore, it was no surprise that the boys were thrown off when they received a very special announcement one morning in their Potions class.

The morning started off like any other; Levi awoke, took a shower, and got dressed while Eren bathed. They went about their normal routing of getting ready and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Eren ate pancakes and peanut butter, like always, and Levi had his regular sliced ham, scrambled eggs, and toast. As the first years strolled towards their Potions classroom, they discussed trivial things. Eren pointed out a bird flying over the lake, Levi reminded him rather harshly that they see birds every day. Everything was normal. Unfortunately, that changed as soon as the boys entered the stone-walled classroom.

Excitement could almost be seen crackling through the air. The Gryffindor students had gleams of what looked like hunger in their eyes. Two kids were getting into a heated argument near the blackboard at the front of the room. Eren uncertainly shuffled a bit closer to Levi, ducking behind the raven's lean frame a bit.

"Um, what's going on?" the teal-eyed boy questioned, confusion lacing his tone of voice. The excitement coursing through the room energized the brunet, but he was not yet sure whether that was a good or a bad thing. Levi let out a small "tch" and started walking towards the blackboard, where many of the Potions students were gathered. Eren trailed behind him like an obedient puppy.

Once the raven rudely shoved enough people out of the way, the boys spotted a yellow paper that was taped to the flat surface of the board. As they neared it, they could just make out the title. In obnoxious, bold letters, it read: 'HELP NEEDED! Gryffindor Seeking Two First Years for the Quidditch Team! Apply for Try-Outs TODAY!' Trailing underneath the title was messily scrawled writing. Levi's eyes widened in realization as he read the unattractive flyer.

At that moment, Professor Hanji decided to launch herself out of her office and fly down the staircase leading to the main floor of the classroom.

"I see that my precious first years have spotted the flyer I made!" she squealed, rushing over to the short students. "Ah," Levi thought. "Now it makes sense." The professor urged her students to sit down, and Eren and Levi hastily took their seats at their usual worn lab table towards the front of the class.

"Now, something very important has just come up yesterday," the woman started, adjusting her glasses that were flashing wickedly. Eren gulped. "It has come to my attention, not only as the referee for Quidditch games, but also as the head of Gryffindor, that our house does not have the necessary amount of players to compete in the school's annual Quidditch Cup!" Loud whispers and murmurs broke through the classroom. Levi and Eren glanced at each other, no words spoken to understand what the other was thinking. "Why is she telling us?"

"Alright, alright, let's settle down," Hanji said ironically, seeing as the professor was practically vibrating with anticipation herself. "The reason behind our lack of players is quite tragic. Our Seeker from last year, Harilyn Bates, was a seventh year and has graduated. The other position open is a third Chaser. We originally had enough, but one of our players decided to transfer to Durmstrang." The professor had taken to walking around the classroom, using dramatic hand waves and movements to emphasize her point even further.

"Therefore, our team needed to hold another day of try-outs. Of course, because Gryffindor is so magnificent and amazing, we expected tons of competitors! Sadly, nobody showed up. It seems that we don't exactly have a generation of Quidditch players, thanks to the lull in broom production a few years back. But do not fret young'uns! I spoke with our dear Headmaster Erwin and arranged for a special exception to the rules! This year, our team will be allowed to recruit two first years!" Noise once again broke out in the small room, but this time it was even louder. Some kids cheered; others looked completely bored.

Eren glanced at Levi, expecting to see the usual impassive mask, and was greeted by an unexpected expression of wonder and happiness covering the raven's face. It was just slight; the boy's mouth quirked up the tiniest bit, and his eyes seemed to lose their severity, but Eren saw it nonetheless.

Professor Hanji flourished a stack of the bright yellow flyers that she had created, seeming to have pulled them from nowhere. She began making her way around the classroom, distributing them giddily.

"Oh yes, Franz, please come to tryouts! I'm sure you'd be a great Chaser. You're always chasing after Hannah, anyways!" the teacher laughed, moving on before the red-faced boy could say anything. "Nanaba, you're always quick to leave my class! Why don't you try out as the Seeker?"

Before long, Eren and Levi had received the ugly papers. The brunet felt an unsettling tingling in his stomach; although he loved Quidditch with a passion, he wasn't sure that he was ready to start competing so soon. As he read over the details of the flyer, he found that the tryout day was October 4th. That was this upcoming Friday, after school on the Quidditch pitch, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Out of the corner of his eye, Eren saw Levi scanning the paper intently. "He seems really into this," Eren thought uneasily. "He must really like Quidditch; he mentioned that he played before, and that he was a Seeker. He'll probably turn out to be the best Seeker a team could ask for…"

As if on cue, the raven turned to Eren, something akin to excitement and determination lighting his features. "Eren, we have to do try out. You said you were a Chaser once, no?"

Eren shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yeah, when we were reading about Quidditch last week…"

"This is perfect. We'll try out, I'll become Seeker, and you'll become the third Chaser."

"Yeah, sure…But, Levi—"

"How long has it been since you've played? Are you actually any good?"

"Um, I think I am, I played a few years ago, but—"

"Tch. That's not good enough. We'll have to go out and practice before Friday. Do you think they'll provide us with brooms? I didn't think to bring my own…"

"Levi!" Eren exclaimed, cutting off Levi's thought process. The raven turned to look at his partner's exasperated face with mild surprise, seeing as the brunet had learned in the past not to interrupt Levi. "I don't know if I can do this," Eren confessed, nervously glancing around the room. Professor Hanji's lesson had started already, but no one seemed to be paying any attention. Hell, even the professor looked like she was daydreaming about Quidditch. The yak tongue that she held kept slipping from her fingers as a faraway look clouded her face. Eren wondered briefly if the pink appendage was slimy.

"What could you possibly mean, you can't do this?" Levi questioned him outright, his eyebrows furrowing. "I don't understand."

"I'm nervous," Eren confessed, lowering his voice so as to not be overheard. Levi had to lean in just to hear the brunet's shaky words. "I haven't played in a long time. And even then, I only practiced with kids who were half my age! I'm probably terrible compared to all of these kids that are gonna try out…" Levi searched Eren's crestfallen face with a calculating look.

"That's odd," the raven announced, turning away from his partner uninterestedly. "I didn't know that Eren Jaeger was a loser." Eren's gaze instantly whipped to Levi, confusion overtaking his depressed state. "The Eren I met was a determined, hard-headed brat who would never take no for an answer," Levi continued, picking at his nails. "I wonder where he went."

"I'm right here, Levi!" Eren protested. "I've been here this whole time!" Eren's little outburst had no effect; Levi continued to survey his fingernails with boredom. The silver-eyed boy had to suppress a smirk. "Worked like a charm," he thought smugly.

"No, no, you can't possibly be the Eren I knew. He was never nervous, depressed, or scared," Levi put emphasis on the last word purposefully to rile his partner up. Of course, thanks to Eren being the hotheaded kid that he is, the jab worked perfectly.

"I'm not scared!" the brunet yelled, gaining a few looks from the other students. Noticing this, Eren lowered his voice and repeated "I'm not scared. Look, I'll try out, okay?" The fire that was temporarily lost had found its way back into Eren's teal eyes. His determination that was such a signature look on him was definitely back. "I'm gonna go out there and be the best Chaser that Gryffindor has ever seen!" Levi simply rolled his eyes at the declaration, but his smile was evident now.

"Now that sounds more like Eren Jaeger," he drawled.


	8. Chapter 8: Try Outs

"I'm definitely gonna throw up," the brunet informed Levi, leaning over the side of the staircase heavily. "I can feel it. There's no way I'm eating breakfast."

The raven rolled his eyes at Eren's melodramatic speech, folding his thin arms on his chest. "Calm the fuck down, Eren. You'll be fine," he sighed. "Once we get to the Great Hall, you'll smell the food and all of your nervousness will disappear instantly." Eren glanced at Levi doubtfully, opting not to respond in favor of quelling the building anxiety in his stomach. Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat.

The try-outs that were occurring that day were inevitable. Levi and Eren had already signed up on Monday at the end of Professor Hanji's lecture, and they were committed to the try-outs. Hanji had already sent out information to the contenders, explaining how the positions would be tested, the skills that were expected out of everyone, and what equipment would be provided, courtesy of the Gryffindor team.

Contrary to Levi's predictions, Eren did not lose his queasiness when the boys arrived at breakfast. Eren slouched in his seat, staring blankly at his empty plate. His eyes were zoned out, no doubt focused on the horrible events that day. Levi scowled at the brunet and shoveled some French toast onto his plate in a last ditch effort to make him eat. "Eren, seriously. You have to eat, or you won't have energy at try-outs." Just the mention of the upcoming event made Eren's face turn a homely shade of green, and Levi recoiled slightly in disgust. "You're seriously asking for it," the raven muttered, drinking his orange juice and slamming the goblet down on the table in frustration.

It's not like Levi had a magical remedy to settle Eren's stomach. This was a battle that the teal-eyed boy had to face on his own. It was hard enough just to convince him to attend try-outs. But maybe, just maybe, Levi could goad Eren into a positive mindset.

Levi cleared his throat, catching Eren's attention slightly. The raven wiped his mouth with his napkin daintily, taking his time, before setting the cloth down and locking eyes with Eren. The brunet gulped, unsure of what Levi was thinking. "Eren," he began, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "This is an amazing opportunity. You love Quidditch; you haven't stopped talking my ear off about it since we first started rooming together. I can see how passionate you are about it, which is why I really want you to succeed today. I know that you're a great Quidditch player, and I know that you can beat the other first years. But you won't be able to do that unless you bring back the determination and confidence you have inside." Levi leaned forwards, his silver eyes narrowing and his face becoming angry. "So stop being such a pussy and man up. Show these arseholes what you can do."

Eren flinched at the hostility in Levi's tone. His stance became defensive and he glared at Levi, although the raven had fixed his attention on buttering his toast. However, deep inside, Eren knew that he was right. Where had his passion gone? What about all of those days he spent outside, dodging rocks and zooming around on his father's 1982 Sharpspeed until the sun had fallen well beyond the distant horizon? Eren sucked in a breath, gathered his strength, and grabbed the serving spoon in front of him with resolve. Levi smirked as he watched the brunet pile his plate up with sausages, eggs, and bread.

Just because Eren ate didn't mean that his nervous disposition disappeared instantly. In Care of Magical Creatures, the brunet was unfocused and dropped his Red-Horned Frog, causing the animal to turn and angrily shoot spikes at the poor boy. Levi accompanied Eren to the infirmary, where Madam Freida efficiently pulled out all of the spikes with tweezers.

In Eren's Herbology class, Armin picked up on Eren's attitude, and tried to guide him through the day's lesson. Sadly, when Armin had to focus on his own plant, Eren messed up again and cut of the wrong tendril of his Incera plant. Professor Petra was busy with another student and didn't notice Eren's plant in time. Within seconds, a noxious gas had filled the greenhouse and students were passing out left and right. Armin had the smart idea to grab a gas mask near the entrance of the room. The last thing Eren saw before he passed out was Armin suturing the plant's wound.

"You're hopeless," Levi sneered at Eren in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Eren bowed his head shamefully and averted his eyes. At least he didn't fuck up anything in this class, thanks to the extensive supervision of Levi.

Transfiguration was another story. It was the last class of the day, and Eren had started trembling halfway through the test they were taking. He couldn't focus on the sheet in front of him; the words got blurry, danced around like ballerinas, and then seemed to fly off the page. The brunet shook his head, trying to focus, but to no avail. Levi could offer no assistance, seeing as any form of communication would be assumed as cheating and would result in the confiscation of both of their tests.

At the end of the period, Eren turned in his half-empty test sheet with a heavy heart. Not only did he probably fail the test, but now that their last class was over, the dreaded try-outs were about to start. Levi grabbed Eren's arm as soon as the bell chimed and dragged him out the door.

In their room, Eren got dressed mechanically. Levi had to help the brunet tug on his riding boots and fix his cotton white button-up shirt. "Let's go, we don't want to be late," Levi murmured. His body was thrummed with excitement; the raven couldn't wait to get on a broom for the first time in a few months. Eren nodded his head sullenly and the duo rushed out of the tower.

On the way to the Quidditch pitch, Eren could almost feel his soul departing his body as he glimpsed the twenty-something first years that were trying out, all lined up as Professor Hanji called role. Levi and Eren slipped into the end of the line inconspicuously. Levi heaved a sigh, knowing that Professor Hanji liked to call role from Z to A. Don't ask him why; he was surprised that the woman actually conformed to the rules at the Sorting Hat Ceremony at the beginning of the year. She was only on the T's, so Eren and he were both safe.

Soon enough, Hanji had accounted for all of the students, and she, along with some Gryffindor team members, were distributing safety pads and brooms. Eren looked at all of the girls and boys standing patiently, waiting for their equipment. Out of the whole group, only two people would make the team. As soon as the thought came into his head, the brunet started quivering. Levi suppressed a sigh, standing next to him quietly.

Once every student had put on their safety gear, Hanji started handing out the old school brooms. They weren't as high quality as, say, a Firebolt, but they got the job done. Eren's broom fit securely in his trembling hands, and it was the perfect length. Sadly, when Professor Hanji reached Levi, she only had a small selection to choose from. This resulted in Levi having to choose a broom that was just a few inches shorter than him.

"Sorry, Levi, this is the last functioning broom left. You'll just have to adjust," Hanji held the dingy broom out to him apologetically. The raven scowled as the Gryffindor students around him giggled quietly to themselves.

"If anyone says a word, I'll cut their arms off," he practically growled, stalking off to the center of the field.

"Alright, let's get started! Seekers first; anyone who is here to try out for Chaser is welcome to watch the Seekers from the seats of Tower A," Hanji announced, swinging one leg over her personal broom. "Seekers, this is your mission: several snitches will be released, one for each student. You will have an assigned snitch to catch. We will time you to find who can locate their snitch the fastest. The quickest person will be named the Seeker of the Gryffindor team!"

As Hanji started assigning snitches to various students, the potential Chasers migrated towards the side of the field. Most of the people stayed on the pitch. The rest of the students, about six of them, headed up the stairs of Tower A, including Eren. He took a seat towards the front of the stands and watched the small speck on the floor of the pitch that looked like Levi.

A few minutes went by uneventfully; Hanji must have still been assigning snitches. Then, in one fluid motion, all of the students hopped on their brooms and took off into the sky.

"There they go!" a girl behind Eren exclaimed.

"Who do you think will get their snitch first?"

"It's gotta be Ymir! She used to play with me, and she's really fast!"

"No, a girl couldn't be Seeker. I think it's gonna be Marcus!"

"Lewis will definitely win."

Eren watched the students as they whizzed through the air. A few of them looked wobbly on their brooms, as if it was the first time they had flown. The brunet could easily pick out Levi; the raven was the only one who flew with a hint of grace. He cut through the air like he was born to do so; he resembled an eagle gliding through the sky. Eren watched as Levi flew up high and scanned his surroundings.

"_That's a horrible idea,"_ Eren thought to himself. _"There's no way he can see anything from that far up."_ And yet the raven looked as confident as a lion. Even from far away, Eren could tell that Levi had a cool, calm, and collected disposition. After what seemed like seconds, the boy hovering in the air had fixed all of his attention on the south side of the field. His body was tensed, ready to strike. And just like that, he was darting away towards his target. _"He found it already?!"_ the brunet thought, leaning forward and gripping the wooden rail in front of him tightly. Eren looked at the direction Levi was heading and saw something hovering there.

The raven flew through the air, gaining speed each second. When he reached the goalposts, he curved around them sharply, following a small projectile intensely. His snitch did its best to avoid him, spiraling, swerving, and dropping at random moments. However, it did nothing to deter Levi, who simply followed the snitch's maneuvers easily. Within a minute of him trailing the snitch hotly, his outstretched hand plucked the black ball from the air. Levi drifted down to the middle of the pitch, where Hanji was blowing her whistle fervently.

"That's it, that's the show!" the woman announced, ecstatic. "In five minutes seventeen seconds, no less! Veeeery impressive. We have our new Seeker: Levi Ackerman!" Eren rushed down the stairs of the tower and ran out to the middle of the field. He jumped and practically tackled the small raven to the ground.

"That was totally awesome, Leevee!" Eren shouted, using the nickname that the silver-eyed boy hated. Levi scowled and pushed at Eren weakly, secretly pleased at the affection his partner was showing.

"Get off of me, you great oaf," he grumbled as he shoved Eren off of him. He stood up and brushed off the dirt that had clung to his robes with disgust. "You got me dirty, damn brat." Eren apologized while laughing and scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Okee-dokee! Now that we're done with the Seeker selection, it's time to evaluate the Chasers!" Hanji announced. It was almost scary how fast Eren's attitude changed from lighthearted and happy to dreadful and somber. Levi's face became serious; the raven knew that this would be hard for Eren.

"You'll be okay," Levi told the brunet, passing him and clapping a hand on his shoulder supportively before walking towards Tower A to watch the Chasers compete.

"Oh perfect! There are exactly enough people to have a Chaser's match!" Hanji squealed, clapping her hands together. "Alright, so, this is how things will work. I will assign two teams of three students each. The teams will compete against each other to score by throwing the quaffle through the goalposts. The first team to get to 100 points will be considered for the last open position on our team. This means that, during the whole match, you will not only be competing against the other team, but against your teammates as well." When the professor announced this, Eren noticed many hostile glares being thrown. A few were even directed at him, even though the brunet barely knew any of the students.

Wordlessly, Eren mounted his broom. His glove-clad hands gripped the handle of his wooden broom tightly. Breathe in, breathe out. Eren had been assigned a team that consisted of him, a small, squirrel looking girl named Lana, and a small blonde named Annie that looked like she would kill anyone that dared to touch her.

Eren took the position of center Chaser. This position was especially important because it facilitated all of the passes the Chasers had to do to successfully score. The brunet lined up with the opposing team's center Chaser, a mean looking redheaded boy. Hanji flew up to the boys holding the quaffle underneath her arm securely.

"I want a clean match, alright, students? Gryffindor doesn't cheat, play dirty, or foul." With that comment, the professor threw the quaffle high above Eren and the other Chaser. The match had begun.

Eren felt petrified. He could hardly move his limbs. Every movement he made felt mechanic, as if he were a marionette being moved by strings that a puppeteer held, high above his head. The redhead snapped up in the air and snatched the quaffle, instantly flying past Eren and racing towards the goalposts. Eren halfheartedly turned and flew after the other Chaser. The opposing team easily scored the first ten points without Eren defending, and the his teammates yelled at him angrily. 10-0.

"I will not lose this game because a fucking wimp was stuck as my teammate," the blonde snarled at Eren as she flew past him with the quaffle. Eren followed after, getting into a formation automatically with no thought. Lana was flying on his right flank, forming a defensive shield to hopefully deter the other Chasers from reaching Annie.

All of a sudden, a freckled girl from the other team had broken their formation by flying closely in between Eren and Annie.

"Eren!" Annie yelled, aiming and throwing the quaffle to the brunet. Eren internally panicked. His hands shot out, trying to catch the leather ball, but it completely slipped through his fingers and fell towards the floor of the field, only to be picked up by a swooping opposing student and lobbed into their goal. 20-0.

Annie swore loudly on the left side of the field, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. Eren bit his lip with embarrassment. The last time he had actually dropped a quaffle was when he was four.

From the sidelines, Levi was holding his head in his hand. "Goddammit," the raven muttered to himself. "GET YOUR ARSE IN GEAR, JAEGER!" he yelled, anger radiating from his whole body. The few students that had decided to watch the Chaser's match moved even farther away from the seething silver-eyed boy.

Startled by Levi's voice, Eren almost fell off his broom. It was like magic; Levi's voice penetrated through the fog clouding Eren's mind. The brunet scanned the stands; each student was watching Eren and laughing. Girls were pointing. Guys were rolling their eyes.

Was this the impression he wanted to make on his fellow classmates? A weak, bumbling fool that couldn't even catch a quaffle properly? A flash of anger went through the brunet, energizing him. His head swiveled over to Lana, who had the quaffle under her left arm possessively.

"HERE, LANA!" Eren screamed, waving his hands over his head frantically. Shocked, the girl glanced at her teammate for a split second before making a decision and throwing the ball to him. This time, Eren wouldn't fail. He felt his body tilt forwards and he felt a minor flashback of him playing Quidditch countless amounts of time outside in his youth. Eren caught the quaffle with ease, tucking it into his armpit and zooming off down the field. A Chaser flew up to challenge him, but Eren feinted left and ducked down to the right of the enemy.

He flew with speed and slight recklessness. As Levi watched his partner, he felt slightly concerned for his safety. The technique Eren was used was sloppy and impulsive, and he was a hair's breadth away from falling off his broom and falling to the ground.

Eren continued to advance down the field. As he neared the goal, however, something odd happened. Levi expected him to charge forward and score the goal single-handedly; however, when the last Chaser challenged him, Eren passed the quaffle to Annie, who threw it into the far right goalpost with deadly accuracy. He flew over to the blonde, cheering and high-fiving her. 20-10.

Throughout the rest of the match, Eren moved like a tremendous machine. His defense was shaky at best, but with the help of the two other girls, they successfully deflected many of the moves the other team attempted. Eren's offense, on the other hand, was a force to be reckoned with. His feinting maneuvers were near perfect. He barrel rolled, twisted, and even flipped around the other Chasers. Within twenty minutes, the score had reached 90-40, with Eren's team in the lead.

Levi watched the match with captivation. Eren could hardly be called graceful, but there was a certain charming quality to the way he aggressively scored. It was obvious to see his determination and passion shine through the nervous attitude he had not a half hour ago.

The last play was one to be remembered. The other team had the ball, and Annie was chasing the freckled girl who held possession. In a desperate effort, the girl chucked the quaffle at her redheaded partner who was on the other side of the field. The ball soared through the air quickly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Eren sped through the air and intercepted the ball. "YES!" Annie yelled, sharply turning to fly towards the goalposts. Lana flew on the right side of the field, Annie on the left, and Eren dead center. The other Chasers zoomed towards the trio, trying their hardest to catch them. Just as one caught up to Eren, he threw the quaffle to Lana, who caught it safely and ducked under a Chaser at the same time. Annie flew closer to aid Lana, who threw the ball to the blonde when the freckled girl tried to paw the quaffle out of her arm. Annie zoomed to the goalposts, aiming towards the left goalpost. The redhead center Chaser of on the other team read her movements and flew over to the goal, ready to intercept the ball. At the last second, Annie curved her body and threw the quaffle to Eren, who was hovering beside the center goalpost. Seeing his opportunity, Eren got ready to catch the ball and hurl it into the goal. In a split second, however, the third Chaser crashed into Eren, trying to knock him out of the air. Eren slipped from his broom and only held on to it by his hands. In the two seconds that the ball was flying at him, Eren curved his body to the left and swung upwards. He kicked his foot out, successfully making contact with the quaffle and sending it flying through the center hoop. He completed his swing and landed on his broom once again. Soon after, he almost got knocked off his broom again when Annie and Lana flew at him in a huge hug.

"We won!" Eren exclaimed, laughing. "Good job, Lana, Annie. You were both awesome!"

As the six Gryffindor students drifted down to the center of the field, Hanji waited, bursting with enthusiasm. "Well, what a match!" she exclaimed. "That was truly riveting! Lana, Annie, Eren, you three have won and will be considered by myself and the other Gryffindor teammates to figure out who will win the position of center Chaser!"

Eren was grinning widely; at this point, he didn't care if he was chosen, he was still exhilarated from winning the match. At some point, Levi had flown down Tower A and had sprinted to Eren. Similarly to what Eren had done, the raven tackled him to the floor.

"You were great, Eren," he smiled, hugging the other boy's neck.

"Thanks, Leevee," Eren replied, his smile widening. His arms wrapped around the raven's torso and hugged him back. After a few seconds, Levi cleared his throat and pulled back.

For the next few minutes, Levi sat with Eren as they waited for the verdict. Eren recounted his performance, asking Levi things like "Did you see that play, though?! Annie was amazing!" and the raven nodded his head, less enthusiastic now that the match was over.

Professor Hanji appeared from the locker rooms, followed by the five Gryffindor Quidditch players. A huge smile was plastered on the professor's face. She seemed pleased with the decision they had made.

"Alright, I know you three have been waiting. We've come to a conclusion!" Hanji announced. "After careful consideration, we chose the first year that displayed the most talent, drive, and sportsmanship that Gryffindor has seen in years. The new Chaser for the Gryffindor team is Eren Jaeger!"

The teal-eyed boy looked at Levi in shock. Levi smirked and hugged Eren once more. "I knew you could do it," he whispered.

Annie and Lana gave their heartfelt congratulations to Eren, who looked ecstatic. Hanji pulled Levi and Eren over to the side and handed them both a slip of paper.

"This sheet is the schedule for our team practices and the games. Our first game is in one month, on November 17th, against Hufflepuff. Don't worry, we'll whip your asses into shape at practice next Monday!" she declared. Eren and Levi nodded seriously and thanked the teacher. They took off their equipment and handed it to Hanji, who let them know that they would be given a jersey, newer safety gear, and better broomsticks (Lightning 1997s, Hanji told them while practically drooling. Apparently, that was a good brand).

When the boys reached their rooms, the sun had set. They both collapsed on their beds. Echo padded up to Eren and sniffed his sweaty hair curiously.

"We made the team," Eren murmured, seemingly dazed.

"Yeah," was all Levi said in response.

"We're awesome."

"Yeah."


	9. Chapter 9: Sudden News

**WOW! So, it's been like two weeks since I said that I'd update this story. Holy hand grenade.**

**I'm so sorry guys, I know that there are only a few people that follow this story, but it breaks my heart when I think of even one person that I have potentially let down. I just could NOT get myself to write this chapter. I would sit at the computer screen and stare at it for a few minutes each night, then write about ten words, then stop and go to bed.**

**But not to fear, I had a strike of inspiration to finish the damn thing, so here it is! (Two weeks late!) Oh well...**

* * *

><p>As the two first years headed to Care of Magical Creatures together, Levi inconspicuously walked closer to Eren, who radiated heat like a furnace. The days were getting shorter and the cold had crept in out of nowhere.<p>

Levi despised winter. The season entailed shivering, runny noses, and getting sick, which meant the spreading of germs. Levi pulled his striped Gryffindor scarf over his mouth further. Just the thought of winter put Levi in a bad mood. Christmas was also coming, along with his birthday. He had yet to tell Eren, mostly because he didn't want the brunet to make a big fuss. Levi never celebrated Christmas or his birthday, and he was content to keep it that way.

The raven sidled up closer to Eren, this time bumping shoulders with him. The brunet gave him a glance paired with a small smile. He too wore a scarlet and gold scarf, wrapped around his neck tightly to combat the cold weather. Since it was only the beginning of November, there had been no signs of snow yet. However, temperatures were dropping rapidly.

"Why does this class have to be outdoors?" Levi complained as a shiver went through his body.

"Oh come on, Levi, it's not that bad," Eren laughed.

They made it to the shack with a few minutes to spare. Eren's attention peaked when he spotted a strange animal in one of the pens. Levi seemed to shrink backwards. He was unwilling to go near a vile, nasty, and wild animal. The creature seemed to have wings and talons, but it stood on four legs. It obviously had the body of a lion, but it's head was that of an eagle.

"Today's lesson: how to feed a griffin," the voice came from Professor Mike's house. Said man walked around the side of the house and approached his class. The first years shuffled nervously. None of them wanted to go anywhere near the griffin's sharp beak. "It's simple, really," Mike assured them. "You just grab the ferret by its tail, get Greyfeather's attention, and sling it up above his head. He'll jump up and catch it in his mouth. Easy." The professor proceeded to dump a bag of dead ferrets in front of his class's feet. "Now, who wants to go first?"

After a few silent moments, nobody had volunteered. Professor Mike sighed. "Alright, since there are no takers, I'll have to pick on someone. Jaeger, how about you?" Eren blanched, his eyes widening comically.

"U-um, I don't think that's a good idea, professor—" Eren stammered, but Mike was having none of it. The tall man grabbed Eren's shoulder and steered him towards Greyfeather while shoving a ferret into his shaking hands.

"Look, you already have his attention." True to Mike's words, the griffin fixed yellow gaze on Eren. He stomped his leg impatiently. "Now, just chuck it up, and he'll do the rest." Eren took a tentative step forward. The brunet took a deep breath, tensed his body, and threw the ferret high. Right over his head.

Eren could've sworn his life was over. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Greyfeather darted forwards, spreading his wings to lift him up. His front legs kicked out in excitement and his neck extended in midair as he snapped his beak around the ferret. Just as the griffin's talons were about to slash Eren, the boy was knocked to the side.

Eren hit the ground hard and grunted as another figure fell onto him, adding to the impact. The figure turned out to be Levi, who got up and scowled at Eren deeply. "What the hell, you idiot? Who throws a piece of meat right above their head? You could've died," the raven ranted, smacking Eren upside the head. Eren rubbed his head and glanced at his friend sheepishly.

"Sorry…" he replied. Levi just scoffed and hauled himself up, then held out a hand to help Eren up as well. Eren gratefully took it and stood up. It took a while for the boys to brush off all the dirt that had gotten on them, but Levi insisted on being completely clean.

The raven made sure to keep Eren far away from Greyfeather for the rest of the class. Other students who were not as reckless as Eren succeeded at feeding the griffin, and Eren looked on wistfully.

By the end of the last period, Levi and Eren were stacked with homework. As usual, the boys holed up in the corner of the school library, making sure to keep quiet. Well, sometimes Eren had trouble with his noise level, but Levi was always there to keep him in check.

About an hour into their herbology assignment, Eren started to nod off. Every so often, Levi would nudge him, and the boy would snap out of his sleepy state, but it was becoming more and more difficult to stay awake. In just a few minutes, Eren was out like a light. His head rested on Levi's shoulder. Brown hair tickled Levi's cheek as Eren breathed in and out steadily.

"Jeez," Levi sighed, running a hand through Eren's hair. "You're hopeless."

Hours passed. Levi studied diligently as the light from outside became dimmer. Not once did Eren wake from his peaceful slumber. It was only at 6:00 that there was any form of interruption. It came in the form of an excitable professor.

Although Hanji was usually bubbly and energetic, the professor wore a grim expression on her face. She approached the table almost reluctantly. Levi, being as sharp as he was, knew that something was wrong instantly.

"What is it," he deadpanned, boring his gaze into Professor Hanji's serious face.

"Certain events have occurred… Levi, I need to talk to Eren in my office," Hanji explained. The raven haired boy frowned.

"Alright, I'll come with him."

The professor shook her head and smiled gently, yet the smile was far from happy. "I'm afraid you can't do that, Levi. It's a personal matter. Eren must come alone."

By this point, said boy was waking up from his short nap. He blinked blearily and focused his sights on the professor. "Professor Hanji? What are you doing here?"

"Eren, you need to come with me. Alone," Professor Hanji stressed the last word, shooting a glance at Levi. Levi's eyes narrowed and he leaned towards Eren defensively.

"I want to go, too," he declared stubbornly. Eren looked at Levi with confusion, then looked back at Hanji.

"Yeah, I want Levi to come. Why wouldn't he be able to?" he questioned, rubbing the heel of his palm into one teal eye to try and clear his vision.

"I—I just…It's just…Ahhh," Hanji sighed as she bit her lip, conflicted. "Fine. Fine, okay. Come on boys, let's go." Without another word, the professor turned on her heel and walked out of the library's doors. Levi and Eren scrambled out of their seats, their textbooks and work forgotten as they followed Professor Hanji unquestioningly.

Her office was a few flights above the library, in a separate tower. Hanji held the wooden door open and ushered the first years in.

"Sit boys, sit," she gestured to the two guest seats vaguely. Making her way around her mahogany desk, the professor straightened her glasses and shuffled around some papers on her desk distractedly. She glanced up at the boys, who had already sat down and were watching her expectantly.

"Yes, well, um. You see," she mumbled, running her hand through her hair. "I—I'm afraid that I have rather bad news. Terrible news, actually. Almost as bad as the news that Gary Fitzgerald got in 1374 when his fatal experimental practices left half of London in shambles—"

"Professor." Levi's sharp voice cut through Hanji's pointless babbling, and the woman quickly closed her mouth. She inhaled through her nose, then let out a large breath.

"Alright. Eren, I have terrible news. I know that this is rather sudden, but it seems that, um, well… y-your parents were found murdered in their home two days ago."


	10. Chapter 10: Aftermath

The room fell deadly silent. Levi was afraid to breathe; he felt that it would break the spell that had been seemingly cast. It was as if the very air had frozen.

Eren's eyes had lost their shine as he stared at Professor Hanji unwaveringly. His hands had clenched into balls, and when Levi looked closely, he could see them trembling slightly. After about fifteen seconds, Eren's head started to shake.

"No, you're wrong," he said, his voice quivering, and Levi's heart cracked. The brunet's eyebrows furrowed as he continued. "My parents are fine. They're sitting in our house; mom's preparing dinner and dad is just coming back from work at St. Mungo's." The longer he spoke, the more the boy got choked up. He swallowed repeatedly, trying to keep his composure. Hanji looked on sympathetically.

"Honey, I'm so sorry," she said in a hushed voice, approaching Eren and laying a hand on his shoulder gently. "I'm so sorry."

Eren slowly turned to look at Levi, as if the raven was somehow in on a sick joke. Levi felt like Eren was begging him to refute the professor's words, to comfort him and tell him that everything was going to be fine. He could do none of these things.

Levi remained rooted to the spot and watched as Eren's world crumbled around him.

"I-I….," Eren stuttered. The first tear rolled down his cheek. "I don't…They were just alive…We were going to have Christmas together. I already bought mom a new dress. She's going to—she would've—" the brunet choked up, putting a hand over his mouth to quiet the sobs that had begun to slip out. His teal eyes swam with tears.

Levi somehow found his voice, and a small strangled noise came out. He cleared his throat quickly and tried again. "Eren…" Only the boy's name came to him. Levi had never been in this situation before; he lived with his father all of his life, and rarely interacted with others. He had never had to deal with the loss of a loved one. He had never needed to comfort a friend in a time of despair. The silver-eyed boy was lost. So he did the only thing he could; Levi reached forward and circled his arms around Eren.

Gratefully, Eren turned and buried his face in Levi's shoulder. Sobs wracked his body, and his arms reached around to grasp the back of Levi's robes like a vice. Levi glanced at Professor Hanji and gestured towards the door. She nodded silently and opened it, allowing Levi to lead Eren out of the room.

The raven led Eren to their room in the Gryffindor tower. He allowed Eren to fall onto his bed, then turned and quickly ran to the library to grab their study materials and textbooks. By the time he had returned to their room, Eren had been smothered by their cats. Echo had jumped onto the brunet's stomach and was currently rubbing her face against his wet cheek. Song was curled up behind Eren's head, which was resting on his pillow. Both of the cats were purring and trying to console the heartbroken boy.

Levi's heart throbbed when he saw that Eren's eyes had taken on a dull quality. He silently set Eren's belongings on his desk and put his own things away as well. Neither of the boys mentioned dinner; both of them were too depressed to think of food. Levi crawled into his pristine bed and folded his covers over him carefully.

The sky turned dark slowly. At some point, Eren had gotten up from his bed and turned off the light. Now, they were sitting in complete darkness. Levi tried to sleep, to no avail. His mind kept racing about Eren; what would this mean for him? Where would he live? Does he have immediate family members? How is Eren feeling right now? What should he do to comfort him? Levi felt dizzy. In his concentrated state, he barely felt his blanket being held up and a warm body sliding into his bed.

"Levi," Eren whispered. "I'm scared."

The raven's eyes shot open, and he turned over to face Eren. "I know," he replied, reaching up to run a hand through Eren's hair as an act of compassion. Eren leaned his head into the reassuring touch. It felt good to have Levi concerned over him.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Eren's voice was barely audible. Levi was sure that if he turned on the lights right now, he'd see the brunet's face all red and embarrassed.

"Of course," he responded, scooting back to give Eren more room. The teal-eyed boy gratefully lay down and pulled the cover over both of their bodies. Levi sighed with content. He had almost forgotten how warm Eren was. Unconsciously, the raven wriggled closer to Eren, until his hands were trapped between them and their legs were tangled together.

Levi tucked his head under Eren's chin and threw one arm around his torso. "It'll be okay," he murmured as he felt Eren tremor and try so hard to contain his cries. His long fingers stroked a small portion of Eren's back, and the two fell asleep in each other's embrace.

It had been several days since Eren had left Hogwarts. Headmaster Smith recognized Eren's situation and gave him full permission to leave the school for a week to attend his parents' funeral. Now, the next step was to find Eren a new home. He certainly couldn't stay at Hogwarts. The brunet didn't seem to have any immediate relatives that were fit to house him, either. It was a dire situation.

Levi wanted to help in any way he can. While Eren was away, he met with the Headmaster and pleaded for him to allow Eren to stay with him. Although the man did not have custody over Eren, he was highly influential. Headmaster Smith promised that he would do what he could to allow Eren to be taken in by Levi's family.

In the meanwhile, Levi was instructed to send his father a letter explaining the situation and begging for acceptance. Levi was desperate to help his best friend. Ever since Eren had left the school, Levi couldn't think. He simply couldn't pay attention in class; his thoughts always lingered on Eren. He constantly worried about the brunet, wondering if he was alright, what he was doing, if there was anyone to watch over him, when he'd be back. All that the raven could do now was wait and hope that his father was merciful.

The following Sunday, Eren arrived at the school. He looked bad; Levi noted his shaggy hair and the dark circles under his friend's eyes worriedly. He had welcomed the brunet eagerly and told him of his plans.

"Oh, no, Levi," Eren exclaimed when the raven told him. "I can't do that to you. I'd be such a burden. It'll be okay, I'll figure something out myself."

"What the hell are you talking about, idiot? What are you going to do? You're twelve, almost thirteen, and you have nowhere to go. You can't get a job, you can't get food; if you go off on your own for a whole summer, you'll probably die in the streets," Levi spoke harshly, but his concern shone through. He sighed and ran his fingers through his black hair. "Eren, please stay with me. It's just for a few summers anyway, when we're not at school."

Eren smiled. He could see Levi's worry as plain as day. He huffed out a breath and hugged the unsuspecting raven suddenly. "Alright, fine," he said, still smiling.

"About time you came to your senses," Levi huffed, his cheeks reddening.

"Thank you," Eren mumbled quietly, resting his forehead on Levi's shoulder. Levi lifted an arm and lay his mitten-covered hand on Eren's head comfortingly.

Within a few days, Levi's owl came back bearing his father's response. It was short. "As long as he doesn't make a mess, he's welcome to stay with us," Levi read aloud. His face brightened and he looked up at Eren. "You can stay with me!"

Eren smiled at Levi's excitement, but he still felt depressed. The pain from loss of both of his parents would not go away so soon. Levi's smile faded as he sensed Eren's sorrow.

Levi nudged Eren's hand with his own and intertwined their fingers. He looked into Eren's teal eyes for a while before saying "It'll be okay. I'll be here for you."


	11. Chapter 11: First Match Christmas Time

As the days passed and turned into weeks, Eren slowly recovered. His life would never be the same without his parents, but he was learning to live with it and accept his circumstances. Levi was there every step of the way, silently providing support and comfort. It wasn't his forte, exactly, but he tried his hardest to help his best friend.

On a particularly freezing Saturday in December, the boys were walking down a second floor corridor. There was a silence between the two, but it was peaceful. Eren was humming lightly as he studied the pictures on the wall to his left. The paintings were lovely; they ranged from landscapes to portraits to abstract works. Eren particularly loved the sceneries. He couldn't fathom how painters could capture such beauty with a brush and some paint.

As the first years passed a rather large portrait, a voice rang out. "Levi? Est-ce tu?" Eren and Levi both turned their heads simultaneously, searching for the voice's source. "Par ici! Sur le mur," the voice rang out again. Eren's eyes darted around the corridor with confusion. Levi, however, calmly stepped backwards and looked at the large portrait that Eren had previously overlooked.

Eren joined him and looked at the portrait more carefully. The man depicted was obviously old; that much could be told by his wrinkles and gray beard. His hair was black, peppered with gray streaks, and his skin was very fair. His appearance was extremely similar to Levi, and Eren looked between the two curiously.

"Levi! Je savais que ce était tu. Je ne ai jamais pensé que je verrais le jour," the man said excitedly, peering down at the younger raven. Levi gazed up at him evenly.

"Is he speaking French?" Eren asked, glancing at Levi with his brow furrowed.

"Sadly, yes," Levi sighed, directing his attention back to the man in the portrait. "Bonjour, grand-père. Ça va?" Levi spoke fluently, much to Eren's surprise.

The man laughed and smiled kindly. "Je parle anglais aussi, vous savez." Levi and the man spoke for a minute or two, and Eren stood by Levi's side, fidgeting slightly. It was always awkward when someone couldn't understand a conversation. Finally, Levi seemed to finish talking, and pulled on Eren's robes.

"Come on, we haven't fed our cats yet," Levi urged. Eren complied easily and followed behind the silver-eyed boy. After a few minutes, the brunet spoke up.

"I didn't know you spoke French."

"That's because I didn't tell you."

Eren pouted silently behind Levi, staring at the back of his head. Somehow, Levi knew that Eren was sulking, and rolled his eyes, not bothering to look back.

"It's really cool that you know another language," Eren tried again. Levi just hummed in response, just letting Eren know that he heard him, but not exactly answering. Eren huffed.

"How did you learn it?" There, that was a question that Levi can't just shake off. Levi sighed, although he wasn't actually as annoyed as he seemed. It was just something that he hadn't spoken about in a long time.

"My mom was French. I was born and raised in France until I was seven, when my mother died. My dad wanted to leave the country because it reminded him too much of her, so we moved to England. That's why I can speak English as well."

Eren gaped in amazement. "But that means that you've only been here for four years! And you can speak English fluently, with no accent?"

"Well, that much is obvious, no?"

At this point, the boys had just arrived in the Gryffindor common room. Because it was the weekend, a lot of people were lazing around by the fire. There were a few students huddled in the corner tables, desperately trying to finish the huge loads of work that their classes assigned them.

Eren and Levi walked past everyone and ascended the staircase to the boys' rooms. They proceeded down the hall and into their room. The first thing Eren did was flop onto his bed. Levi narrowed his eyes, but decided not to say anything in favor of pulling out the cat food from the cabinet on his side of the room.

Pets that students brought to Hogwarts were allowed to freely roam the castle grounds, but with the temperature being so low, Levi knew that Echo and Song were probably hiding in a warm corner of the room. He shook the box of cat food, and sure enough, the cats quickly came out from underneath Eren's bed in pursuit of food.

"Our first Quidditch game is on Monday," Eren commented, flipping his body over so that he could see Levi properly. Levi didn't react as he continued to pour the food into the cats' bowls. Eren sat up and swung his legs over the side of his bed. "Do you think we'll win?"

Levi glanced over his shoulder at the brunet briefly. _"He's going into a mood,"_ the raven thought, getting up to sit next to Eren on the bed.

Every once in a while, Eren's mood would go down a bit. It was common for people who were grieving, and Levi had learned that these were the times where Eren was more vulnerable than ever. He nudged his shoulder against Eren softly.

"Of course we'll win," Levi stated simply. "How could we lose, with both of us on the team?" Eren nodded his head and laughed.

"You're right. Thanks, Levi."

* * *

><p>The weekend passed by quickly. Although Eren was distracted by the upcoming game, Levi made sure that they both finished their work. Bad grades would definitely get them kicked off of the team.<p>

On Monday, Eren was fired up and rearing to go. He could barely concentrate in any class, although Professor Erd for Defense class had a quite interesting lesson about banshees.

When the class had finished taking the last notes in Transfiguration and were dismissed, the brunet practically leaped from his seat.

"The game's in an hour, Levi, let's go!" he called over his shoulder, already halfway out the door by the time that Levi had gotten out of his seat.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, calm the fuck down," Levi yelled back. He gathered his things and the papers that Eren had forgotten in his rush and followed the teal-eyed boy down to the Quidditch pitch.

It didn't take them very long to put on their uniform and all of the regulatory safety pads. They were the first team members to arrive, so as they were finishing dressing, the other players filed into the room. Levi spotted Reiner and Bertholdt, the beaters of Gryffindor's team.

Bertholdt had been good friends with Armin, which is why Armin named his owl after the tall boy. Or, at least, that's what Eren told Levi one boring day in their room.

Ymir and Krista were also in the room. They were the other two chasers, along with Eren. And ironically, the last person to arrive was their captain, Nile. Although he wasn't the best captain, he had been on the team the longest, and he was more qualified for the position than anyone else. He was the team's keeper.

Today's match was against Hufflepuff. Eren spotted the yellow and black robes of the Hufflepuff Quidditch players on the opposite side of the pitch as he came out of the Gryffindor tent. He tensed in excitement, gripping his broom tightly. The stands were filling up quickly with students. Most of them were from either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, but there was still a fair share of Slytherin and Ravenclaw students.

The game between Ravenclaw and Slytherin was last week, and both teams played very dirty. In the end, it was the Slytherin seeker that caught the snitch, and the Ravenclaw fans still looked bitter about it as they sneered at the Slytherin students in the bleachers.

"Levi, look how many people there are!" Eren craned his neck up, watching the crown in awe. Levi tched.

"Too many people, if you ask me. They better not complain if they get in the way of the snitch getting into my grasp," Levi muttered.

A few minutes before the match was supposed to start, Hanji came strolling onto the field, fully decked out in official referee attire and a shiny whistle hanging around her neck.

"How's everyone doing today?" she asked cheerily. The professor fetched Nile and the other team's captain and began to tell them the rules that were explained at every match. Eren had taken to shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He eyed the other team's players with determination.

"_We're going to win this,"_ he thought. _"Definitely. I'll get us so many points that it won't matter who catches the snitch. Although,"_ Eren glanced at Levi. _"There's almost no question that Levi will be the one to do that." _

Eren focused his attention back on Professor Hanji as she mounted her broom, rose in the air, and raised her wand to her throat. Her loud voice was amplified and it rang through the pitch. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let's get this Quidditch match underway!" Cheers broke out. "Today's match is Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. Good luck to both teams, and play fair!" With that, the woman let the Quidditch balls loose. The game had begun.

Eren, as the center chaser, quickly darted up and snatched the quaffle right before the other Hufflepuff chaser could. He barrel rolled around the boy and flew into a formation with the other chasers that they had practiced so many times before.

Eren passed the ball to Ymir, who had an open shot and easily chucked it into the left goalpost before the keeper from Hufflepuff could stop it.

"Oh yeah! That was for my girlfriend, Christa!" Ymir bellowed as they went back to their positions.

"Ymir! Focus on the game," Christa scolded, her face burning red.

The game was rather easy, in Eren's opinion. They had a few mishaps and let Hufflepuff score a few times, but they kept their composure and scored their own points steadily. Reiner and Bertholdt did an excellent job at defending Eren and the other chasers. All the while, Levi was circling high above the Quidditch pitch like a hawk circling its prey.

It had only been about twenty minutes before Levi spotted his target. Hovering about three feet above the ground on the left side of the field was the golden snitch. Levi tilted downwards and sped towards the little ball at a great speed. It darted away towards a tower, but Levi followed it easily.

The other seeker had noticed Levi's chase by this time, but it was already too late. Levi closed in on the snitch and plucked it out of the air skillfully. The end score: 110-30. Gryffindor won.

* * *

><p>In the Gryffindor common room that night, a party raged on. Eren and Levi were receiving multiple pats on the back and butterbeers slipped into their hands. People were unsure of the first years at first, but they had proven themselves worthy that day.<p>

Eren was loving the attention, and although Levi was a bit disgruntled, he was happy to see that Eren was having a good time.

At around 11 p.m., Levi dragged Eren upstairs and into his bed.

"We still have school tomorrow, dimwit," he said as he flicked Eren's forehead.

Eren stuck his tongue out. "You're a party pooper, Levi." Levi rolled his eyes and got into his own bed. They fell asleep quickly after the long day.

* * *

><p>The next thing that Hogwarts students were looking forward to was Christmas. It was only a week away, and the castle had been decorated from dungeon to towers with garlands, mistletoe, and Christmas trees.<p>

One particular day, Levi and Eren were eating dinner in the Great Hall. Levi was glaring at the snow that was slowly falling from the ceiling, disappearing right before it reached the table.

"I hate snow," he mumbled. "I got buried in a snow mound a few years ago on Christmas. That was a horrible birthday."

Eren's head shot up from his mashed potatoes. Levi gave him a strange look. "What? What did I say?"

"Your birthday is on Christmas?!"

Well, shit.

Levi groaned and leaned back. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. The raven's shoulder's sagged and he gave Eren a halfhearted glare. "Yes, if you must know. My birthday is the 25th of December."

Eren was practically bouncing in his seat. His eyes were fiery with excitement. "That's in a week, Levi! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Now I have to get you a birthday present!"

"No, no, you don't have to do that," Levi argued, but Eren seemed to have not heard him. The brunet continued to ramble on, wondering aloud what exactly he should get his friend. Levi gave up, resting his chin in his hand and resigned to watching Eren getting excited.

Since there were no classes thanks to winter break, many students were gone. They had left to spend Christmas with their families. For obvious reasons, Eren didn't leave, and Levi really didn't want to leave the boy by himself. Besides, he wasn't keen on going home for Christmas, anyways.

* * *

><p>On Christmas day, Levi was awoken to the feeling of Eren bouncing on his bed over him.<p>

"Levi! It's CHRISTMAS! Happy birthday! Merry Christmas! Happy birthmas?" Eren shouted. "Is birthmas even a word? Oh well, I guess it is now. Anyways, get up Levi! We have to go open the presents!" Levi groaned and rubbed his eyes.

"I'll kill you for waking me up so early, shitty brat," Levi growled, shoving Eren off the bed. The teal-eyed boy fell to the floor with a loud thump. Levi got out of bed and walked out the door without waiting for Eren, who was still scrambling to get up.

It was no lie that most of the students were gone; no Gryffindors were in the common room, and Levi hadn't seen any on his way down. They must all be gone, at home with their families.

On the way out of his room, Levi had grabbed his present for Eren. He put the small gift in his lap as he sat on the couch and waited for Eren to come down the staircase. The brunet came down like a baby deer, almost tripping and falling all the way down. He bounded over to Levi and jumped over the back of the couch, landing right next to the startled raven.

Eren shoved a box into Levi's hands. "Happy birthday, Levi," the boy said, quietly this time. He fidgeted and watched Levi nervously as the other boy unwrapped his present. It turned out to be a sloppily made necklace. The chain was uneven, and the crystal that was wrapped with silver was chunky and badly cut, but Levi was captivated by its greenish-blue color. It reminded him of Eren's eyes.

"Do you like it? I made it out of some rocks; Professor Dita helped me transfigure it," Eren explained. Levi turned and gave Eren a small smile.

"I really like it, Eren. Thank you," he said. He grabbed Eren's present and threw it over. "This isn't homemade or anything, but I thought that you'd need it…"

Eren unwrapped the box quickly and opened it. He picked up a pair of Quidditch goggles with delight. "These are awesome, Levi! I love them!"

"It's nothing, they're just goggles that I never got around to using," Levi waved Eren off, glancing away with a light pink blush on his cheeks.

"No really, thank you so much," Eren smiled and tackled the raven, catching him by surprise. He laughed as Levi struggled.

"Hey—Eren!" Levi complained, pushing Eren away without really meaning it. Eren just smiled and snuggled closer.

They spent the rest of the day like that, snuggling in front of the fireplace to keep warm on Christmas Day.


	12. Chapter 12: The Remainder

It was crazy how the rest of the year seemed to fly by. Eren felt like someone had pressed a fast-forward button. Gryffindor's three other Quidditch games were finished by March. Although they played hard, they lost to Slytherin and Ravenclaw just by bad luck. In their final match for 3rd place, the team easily beat Hufflepuff again, but Eren and Levi were still disheartened. It was disconcerting to get 3rd place in their first year of playing. Still, Eren's positive attitude shone through the next morning.

"Next year, we'll definitely win," the brunet declared as he stuffed his face with bread. "I can just feel it. We'll demolish Ravenclaw _and _Slytherin!"

Levi said nothing, opting instead to eat his breakfast silently and watch Eren's eyes shimmer with determination. The raven had always admired Eren's spirit and positive attitude.

Eren continued his ranting throughout the day. He was completely fired up, and nothing could calm him down. That was, until Professor Dita informed his class that finals were coming in less than two months.

In a desperate effort to somehow salvage their grades, the boys threw themselves into studying. Not that Levi needed to study, however. The raven excelled in all of his classes and was sure to pass every one of them. The reason why he studied with Eren was to try and help the boy's mediocre grades. Levi was getting annoyed by how many times he had to tell Eren to pay attention. Even though the brunet was ridiculously driven, he was having trouble understanding potion formulas and his transfiguration skills were shaky at best.

They spent practically every afternoon in the library, holed up in a corner and poring over their textbooks. Levi was endlessly quizzing Eren, desperately trying to get Eren to understand basic concepts.

"So, when you mix an infusion of wormswart with powdered root of asphodel, you get…," Levi trailed off, looking at Eren expectantly. The brunet tilted his head to the side an furrowed his brow. Levi definitely didn't think that he looked cute.

"Um…felix felicis?" Eren tried, looking at Levi hopefully. The raven sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, trying to will his headache away.

"_It's gonna be a long month…"_

* * *

><p>It was 2:30 in the afternoon. Levi had just finished his last exam and was patiently waiting outside of the Great Hall for Eren to finish his own test. The brunet was probably the last one in the testing room, aside from Connie, but Levi expected no different. Now, all he had to do was wait for his companion to finish the transfiguration portion of his exam.<p>

As Levi waited, he swished his wand lazily in the air, creating small trails of light to quell his growing boredom.

"I wish Eren was here," Levi mumbled. "I wish he was done with his test already. He just has to take a shitload of time. Damn brat."

As he was speaking to himself, Levi felt a sudden weight at his right side and a voice right next to his ear.

"Aww, did you miss me, Leeevi?" Eren laughed, circling his arms around the smaller boy's waist.

"Tch. I don't know what you're talking about, shitty brat," Levi muttered, looking away from Eren and huffing in mock annoyance. Eren giggled and squeezed him tightly before letting go. The boys headed down the hall to the Gryffindor tower.

"So, how do you think you did?" Eren asked, shooting a side glance at the raven beside him. Levi shrugged.

"I think it went extremely well for me. I'm more worried about you, to be honest," Levi responded critically.

"How rude!" Eren scoffed. "I'll have you know that I probably aced the entire exam!" Levi just shot the boy a skeptical look and kept walking. Eren puffed out his cheeks, but dropped the subject there.

* * *

><p>The last week of school was a rush for Eren. The professors were still trying to cram knowledge into the students' brains, even though they were already practically shut down. Eren constantly thought of the summer. It would be weird living with Levi, but the teal-eyed boy was determined to be polite and gratuitous.<p>

Eren felt butterflies in his stomach the entire train ride home, but he kept them at bay by chatting with Mikasa and Armin. The trio had barely seen each other the whole year, since they were in separate houses, but they still kept in touch and were great friends.

By the time the Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform 9 & 3/4, Eren had practically forgotten his nerves. However, when Levi stuck his head into the compartment and motioned to Eren, the brunet had to swallow down the building anxiety.

The boys quickly fetched their belongings, including their cats, who had shared a large carrier because they had refused to be separated. Levi weaved through the crowds of mothers and fathers who were desperate to see their children. Eren followed behind the black-haired boy as best as he could while pushing his heavy cart.

Levi easily led them through the brick wall, back into King's Cross Station, and started walking off towards the front of the station. Not a word was spoken between him and Eren, yet the brunet kept up with relative ease.

Levi broke the silence between the two. "There's our ride," he pointed to a black Lexus with tinted windows that was parked outside of the station. "Come on, we don't want to keep him waiting." Eren nodded and the two boys approached the car.

The hood was popped when they got closer, and Levi motioned for Eren to start loading their stuff into the car. When that was done, Levi opened the back door and slid in. Eren followed, albeit clumsily, and clicked on his seatbelt. Then, he turned his attention to the man sitting at the driver's seat. Levi had mentioned his father's name…What was it again? Kyle? Kent?

"Hello, Kaney," Levi's cold tone of voice cut through the atmosphere of the car. Eren could practically feel the tension rise and shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

Levi's father turned his head, allowing Eren to get a glimpse of a long face with dark hair, and nodded his head. "Hello, son. Son's friend."

Eren stuttered a bit. "A-ah, um, hello sir! Thank you very much for allowing me to stay with you!" His response might've been a bit too enthusiastic, but Eren really wanted to let the man know how grateful he was for being given a temporary home.

Kaney grunted and turned back around, starting the car and pulling into the traffic with ease. Eren glanced at Levi and saw the raven's face stormy with displeasure. Hesitantly, the brunet reached over and covered Levi's hand with his own. Levi's silver eyes locked with Eren's teal, then looked at their hands.

He didn't bother to move them the whole drive home.


	13. Chapter 13: Summer

The entire ride to Levi's house was spent in silence. Even though the trip was only 45 minutes long, Eren felt suffocated in the tense air of the car. Occasionally, the brunet would shift in his seat uncomfortably, wriggling around as if he were sitting on a porcupine. Levi always noticed when this happened and tried to calm the boy down by squeezing his hand in reassurance. It seemed to do the trick, if Eren's slumped shoulders and relaxed expression was any indication.

Although it was uncomfortable now, Eren was determined to make the best of the situation. He had been offered a home so generously thanks to Levi and his father, and Eren was going to show his gratitude as best as he could. He would help Levi with cleaning, he'd wash the dishes, mow the lawn, dry the laundry…

As Eren was zoning out, thinking of all the work he was willing to do, Levi tapped a slim finger against his hand to get the brunet's attention.

"We're here," Levi murmured, nodding his head towards Eren's window. Eren turned and looked at Levi's house with amazement.

Levi had never straight out told Eren that he was rich, but his mannerisms were very telling. Eren could tell that Levi held an air of sophistication that often came with living in the lap of luxury. Not that the raven was a snob or anything; he just had more refined characteristics. Now, looking at the boy's house, Eren was completely sure that Levi came from a wealthy family.

The building was obviously modeled in the Victorian style. The house was a lovely two story building that was made of stone and had beautiful, large windows. It was adorned with a porch that wrapped around one corner of the house. The whole lot was enclosed by a wrought iron fence and gate, which had the letter "A" engraved in the center.

Mr. Ackerman pulled the car up to the gate, which swung open for him instantly. The car rolled past the gates and pulled up the driveway, all the way around the magnificent fountain that was centered perfectly in front of the house.

Levi's father turned to face the two boys in the backseat, his features slightly hostile.

"Gather your things and put them in your rooms, then report to my study immediately. Bring your wands." His voice was rough and gritty, with no room for negotiation. Levi didn't bother to dignify his dad with a response and slid out of the car quickly. Eren scrambled to do the same.

The boys gathered their trunks and cats, and then proceeded to enter Levi's home. Once more, Eren was stunned by the beautiful interior architecture and design. The raven led Eren up the marble staircase and down the right hallway. He abruptly turned into a room and lay his things on the bed neatly before turning back to Eren, who was standing in the doorway awkwardly.

"Your room is across the hall," Levi told Eren as he gestured to the door behind the brunet.

"Ah! Thanks," Eren smiled and turned to enter his room.

Within minutes, Levi had unpacked all of his belongings and neatly tucked them away. He decided to go check how Eren was doing. It was disappointing to see that the brunet was barely halfway done with his clothes. They weren't even folded properly. Levi sighed.

"I shouldn't have expected any more from you," Levi's words were harsh, but his tone had a hint of teasing that Eren picked up on just from experience. Eren grinned and threw a pair of pants at the raven, who grimaced.

"Just shut up and help me, would you?" Eren glanced at Levi, trying to give him the best puppy eyes he could. Levi grumbled, but grudgingly accepted and began to sort through Eren's jumble of "folded" clothes.

Thanks to Levi, Eren finished unpacking his things quickly. The boys both grabbed their wands and headed downstairs to go to Kenny's study.

Upon arrival, Eren instantly noticed the sickly feeling of the room. There were no personal pictures lining the shelves, and the walls were practically bare. There was only one window, situated behind the large mahogany desk at the end of the room. He didn't like this place. Not at all.

Kenny swung his chair around to see his son and his friend. He held a long, thin arm out expectantly. "Your wands," was all he said.

Eren balked. "Excuse me?" he replied, subconsciously gripping the precious wood in his hand tighter. "I don't understand…Why do you need my wand?"

"Boy, when you are in my house, you follow my rules. Understand? Now hand it over," Kenny demanded. His hand still hovered in the air, and Eren glared at it balefully.

Levi tugged on Eren's shirt quickly; a warning to obey. Eren gritted his teeth and followed Levi's example of dropping his precious wand into Kenny's outstretched hand.

"_Calm down Eren, you ought to be grateful. This man is giving you a place to stay, after all…" _the brunet thought as he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep, calming breath.

"Dismissed. Go clean the bathrooms or something," Kenny waved the boys away with his free hand and turned his chair away from them once more. Eren ground his teeth together, but listened to the man and stalked out of the room. The brunet practically stomped down the hall and threw himself on his bed face first. Levi followed him into his room and leaned against the doorway.

"I guess you've now experienced firsthand just how horrible that man is," Levi said, breaking the short-lived silence. Eren grunted into his pillow in recognition before lifting his head up to look at the raven in his doorway.

"How can you be so casual about it? He's such an asshole!" Eren exclaimed. Levi shrugged.

"You get used to it. Besides, where do you think I got my charming personality?" Eren snorted at that. Levi, whether he knew it or not, was quite good at lifting Eren's mood.

"You've got a point there," Eren muttered. "Well, still, thank you for allowing me to stay here. Even if your dad is horrible, I'm happy to be able to stay here."

Levi nodded in acknowledgment and left to be in his own room. Eren lay on his bed for a few minutes, just thinking, and then decided to let Echo out of her cage and feed her. The cat hadn't been fed since before the train ride home, so she was probably starving. Eren cracked open a can of tuna and emptied it into Echo's food dish, then turned to unlatch the cage's door.

Echo stepped out of the cage hesitantly, as she was not familiar with the new surroundings. Eren sat on the bed and watched his cat cautiously eat her food and then proceed to explore the room.

That night, at dinner, Eren faced the brunt of Kenny's awful attitude. The man had no manners, spoke rudely to all of the servants, and only addressed Eren or Levi if it involved verbally abusing them. Eren was ridiculed for his "shoddy" haircut and unkempt appearance, while Levi was simply degraded.

"Professor Erd told me that you only got an "Exceeds Expectations" on your Defense class final," Kenny said pointedly.

"Yes, that's true," Levi said tightly, focusing his attention on his soup. His father tsked.

"That's terrible. Are you an idiot? I didn't raise you to be a moron, Levi. You better get your shit together next year. And what's with your room? You call that a cleaning job? It's fucking disgusting in there; fix it before you go to sleep tonight, or we're going to have a serious discussion."

Eren could hardly take it. Though Levi stayed calm and collected, Eren saw the clench of the raven's jaw and the glint in his eyes. And there was nothing he could do about it. That's what made it awful. Eren hated to be useless; he wanted to help Levi like the boy had helped him so many times.

That night, Eren let himself into Levi's room and silently began cleaning with him. Eren frankly didn't know what the hell Kenny was talking about at dinner; Levi's room was practically spotless. Even so, Levi had a gallon of bleach out and was scrubbing his shower vigorously, trying to scrub away dirt that wasn't there. Instead of protesting, Eren decided to grab a duster and help as best as he could.

Throughout the rest of the summer, the only thing that kept Eren in check was Levi's constant presence. Whenever Kenny was being particularly malicious and snarky, Levi would be sure to sneak Eren some cookies or take him outside to view the vast garden. The brunet noticed these small acts of kindness and greatly appreciated them. Levi was trying his best to make Eren feel better, even when his father was being a horrible person.

Eren tried hard to do the same. Kenny was often harsh to his son. Although there had been no physical abuse (to the best of Eren's knowledge), the brunet could see the toll that Kenny's words were taking on Levi. Many nights, Eren would sneak into Levi's room and lay in bed with the raven.

It was these times that Eren would notice small things about Levi. The way that he always smelled like tea and mint. How cold his body was, even though it was summer. His soft hair, his long eyelashes, his flawless skin…

And so, Eren's first summer with Levi passed.


End file.
